M 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


10003058496 


^ 


OLD   ROUGH   AND    READY   SERIES. 


1.  OLD  ROUGH  AND  READY. 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  LIFE  OF  CEN.  ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 

2.  OLD  HICKORY. 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ANDREW  JACKSON. 

3.  THE  MILL  BOY  OF  THE  SLASHES. 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  LIFE  OF  HENRY  CLAY. 

4.  THE  GREAT  EXPOUNDER. 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  LI  E  OF  DANIEL  WEBSTER. 

5.  THE  SWAMP  FOX. 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  LIFE  OF  GEN.  FRANCIS  MARION. 

6.  THE  LITTLE   CORPORAL. 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  LIFE  OF  NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE. 


LEE    AND    SHEPARD,    Publishers, 
BOSTON. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/swampfoxyoungfolOOfros 


Fno NT. 


SERJEANT  JASPER.    Page  35. 


OLD   ROUGH  AND   READY  SERIES 


THE   SWAMP    FOX 


YOUNG  FOLKS'   LIFE 


GEN.  FRANCIS   MARION 


By    JOHN    FROST 


ILLUSTRATED 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK 
CHARLES    T.    DILLINGHAM 

18S7 


Copyright,  1SS7, 
By   LEE   AND    SHEPARD. 


All  rights  reserved. 


Old  Rough  and  Ready  Series. 


PREFACE. 

At  Belle-Isle,  St.  Stephen's  Parish,  South  Caro 
Una,  is  a  marble  slab,  bearing  the  inscription : — 
"Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Brigadier-General  Fran- 
cis Marion, — who  departed  this  life  on  the  27th  of 
February,  1795,  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age, 
deeply  regretted  by  all  his  fellow-citizens.  History 
will  record  his  worth,  and  rising  generations  em- 
balm  his  memory,  as  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
patriots  and  heroes  of  the  American  Revolution — 
which  elevated  his  native  country  to  Honour  and 
Independence,  and  secured  to  her  the  blessings  of 
Liberty  and  Peace.  This  tribute  of  veneration 
and  gratitude  is  erected  in  commemoration  of  the 
noble  and  disinterested  virtues  of  the  citizen,  and 
the  gallant  exploits  of  the  soldier  who  lived  with- 
out fear,  and  died  without  reproach." 

This  volume  is  presented  as  an  humble  echo  to 
the  labours  of  those  who  would  keep  the  memory 

Ciii) 


IV  PREFACE. 

of  such  men  green  among  the  people.  While  more 
elaborate  and  particular  biographies  appeal  to  the 
men,  this  book  is  addressed  to  the  youth  of  the 
country  which  Marion  fought  to  deliver.  The 
principal  and  most  interesting  events  in  his  life, 
and  such  incidents  as  tend  best  to  illustrate  his 
noble  and  daring  character,  are  preserved.  The 
writer  will  feel  more  than  rewarded  if  his  unam- 
bitious work  shall  lead  the  attention  of  those  who 
are  coming  forward  to  fill  men's  places  to  such 
examples  as  will  make  them  worthy  to  be  the 
heirs  of  the  self-denying  and  patriotic  men  of  our 
American  Revolution. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Parentage  and  Birth  of  Francis  Marion  —  His  Voyage  to  the  West 
Indies — Its  unfortunate  termination — Sufferings  and  narrow  escape 
of  the  Young  Sailor — He  turns  Farmer — Indian  Troubles — Marion 
volunteers — Indignity  to  the  Indian  Chiefs — Death  of  Cobnel  Coly- 
more— The  Hostages  killed  in  retaliation — The  second  Indian  Cam- 
paign— The  third  Campaign—  Massacre  of  the  Garrison  at  Fort 
Loudon — Battle  of  Etchoee — Gallant  conduct  of  Lieutenant  Marion 
—Interesting  Letter,  written  by  Marion      ------_     Paje 


CHAPTER  II. 

Marion  elected  to  the  Provincial  Congress — The  Act  of  Association — . 
Destruction  of  Tea  and  Stamped  Paper — News  of  the  Battle  of  Lex- 
ington—  Measures  of  the  Provincial  Congress  —  Character  of  the 
Southern  Warfare — Commissions  of  Marion  and  Horry — Their  diffi- 
culties in  raising  Money,  and  ease  in  enlisting  Men — Mischiefs  of 
Intemperance — Marion's  Rebuke  to  the  Young  Officer — His  excel- 
lence as  a  Disciplinarian — His  Promotion  to  a  Majority — The  Defence 
of  Fort  Sullivan — British  Loss — Loss  of  the  Carolinians — Anecdotes 
of  the  Battle — Gallant  conduct  of  Serjeant  Jasper — Marion's  Shot — 
Compliments  to  Serjeant  Jasper  ------....     -     -     23 

CHAPTER  III. 

Effects  of  the  Successful  Defence  of  Fort  Sullivan  —  Evil  Influences 
of  a  condition  of  Suspense — Serjeant  Jasper — His  talent  at  Disguises, 
and  Visits  to  the  Enemy — His  first  call  upon  his  Brother  in  the  British 
Army — His  second  Trip,  with  a  Companion — A  Party  of  American 
Prisoners  brought  into  the  British  Camp — Their  Distress — Jaspet 
and  Newton  determine  to  liberate  them — They  follow,  and  by  a 
Sui prise  conquer  their  Guard,  killing  four,  and  making  the  others 
Prisoners — Ill-advised  Operations  against  Savannah — Repulse  of  the 
Americans,  and  Leath  of  the  brave  Serjeant  Jasper  ------     3? 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Withdrawal  of  the  French  Fleet  from  Savannah,  and  the  American 
Forces  from  Georgia — Preparations  for  the  Defence  of  Charleston- 
Marion  as  a  Militia  Commander — Accident  by  which  he  was  Dis- 
abled— Fall  of  Charleston — Disingenuous  and  cruel  course  of  the 
British — Disregard  of  the  Terms  of  Capitulation — Melancholy  Story 
of  Colonel  Hayne  ----•--------.--53 


CHAPTER  V. 

Movements  and  Character  of  Colonel  Tarleton — Origin  of  the  Phrase 
"  Tarleton's  Quarters" — Capture  or  Retreat  of  distinguished  Caroli- 
nians—  Eager  Vindictiveness  of  the  Tories — Hunting  of  Marion 
through  the  Swamps — He  escapes  to  North  Carolina — Meets  his  old 
Friend  Horry — Their  Poverty — The  Unfriendliness  of  their  Coun- 
trymen— National  Financial  Difficulties — Adventure  at  an  Inn — 
American  Women — Arrival  of  General  Gates     -     ----.«     66 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Marion's  Fortitude — Military  Character  of  Gates — His  Obstinacy,  and 
too  hjsty  March — Poverty  of  the  Country — Detachment  of  Marion 
in  advance — Anecdote  of  Major  James — Destruction  of  the  Boats 
of  the  Planters — News  received  of  Gates's  Defeat — Death  of  De 
Kalb — Formation  of  Marion's  Brigade — Cornwallis's  Order — Suc- 
cess of  Sumter — His  subsequent  Defeat    -    -    -     -  -  -  76 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Marion  watches  the  Road  between  Charleston  and  Camden — Disperses 
a  British  Party  and  liberates  its  Prisoners — Fluctuating  Numbers  of 
Marion's  Band — Surprise  of  Captain  Barfield — Defeat  of  the  Tories 
at  Black  Mingo --  -  -89 


CONTENTS.  VII 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Berjeant  Macdonald  and  the  Tory — Marion's  Horse,  "Ball" — His  pre- 
ference for  Fords,  over  Bridges — His  contempt  of  Luxury — Colonel 
Peter  Horry's  Horsemanship — Good  Result  from  an  accident — Ma- 
rion s  Commission  as  Brigadier,  and  Horry's  as  Colonel — The  Value 
of  these  Commissions — Surprise  of  the  Tories  on  the  Pedee  -  -   1C3 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Tory  Recruits— Capture  of  Colonel  Tynes — Effects  of  Marion's  Suc- 
cess— British  Testimony — Marion's  Mode  of  Punishment — His  great 
Influence — Tarleton  despatched  in  Pursuit — Alarm  by  the  Burning 
of  Dwellings — Narrow  Escape  of  Marion — Tarleton's  Energy — His 
Abandonment  of  the  Pursuit — Result  of  the  Expedition — Sumter's 
Movements  —  Defeat  of  Wemyss  —  Defeat  of  a  Detachment  under 
Tarleton — Wound  of  Sumter     --.--.---  --116 


CHAPTER  X. 

British  Reinforcements  from  New  York  sent  to  the  South — Frustration 
of  the  Enemy's  Plans — Pursuit  of  Major  Ferguson  by  the  Americans 
— Battle  of  King's  Mountain — Total  Defeat  of  the  Tories — Corn- 
wallis  falls  back  to  Winnsboro — Leslie  ordered  to  Charleston  by  Sea 
—  Chain  of  British  Posts  —  Marion's  Movements  —  Incidents  near 
Georgetown — The  Whig  Lady's  Artifice — Defeat  of  Melton — Mur- 
der of  Marion's  Nephew — Affair  with  Colonel  Gainey — Unhappy 
Character  of  the  Contest  ---...-..-----   121 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Camp  at  Snow's  Island — Its  Defences — Sanguinary  Warfare — 
Difficulties  of  Marion's  Command — The  Plunder  of  Croft's  House- 
Marion's  Proceedings  against  the  Offenders — Incipient  Mutiny — Con- 
tumacy of  the  Culprits — Suppression  of  the  Mutiny — Expulsion  and 
Outlawry  of  the  Ringleaders — The  Potato  Dinner    ------    139 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Greene's  Appreciation  of  Marion  —  Colonel  Washington's  Ruse  —  A 
quiet  piece  of  Ordnance — Morgan's  Brigade — Pursuit  by  Tarleton — 
Battle  of  the  Cowpens — Anecdote  of  Tarleton — Anecdote  of  Conyers 
— Lee  joins  Marion — Attack  on  Georgetown — Capture  of  the  Com- 
manding Officer — Partial  Success  of  the  Attack — Lee  recalled  by 
Greene — Movements  of  Cornwallis — Services  of  Marion's  Brigade, 
ai  the  Absence  of  the  Regular  Army    -----.-...151 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Detachments  in  pursuit  of  Marion — Colonel  Tynas — Unfortunate  Con- 
dition of  Horry's  Men  —  Pursuit  of  Mcllraith  —  Challenge  to  an 
Engagement  by  Champions — Mcllraith  recedes  from  the  Proposal, 
and  Retreats — Marion  draws  off  his  Men,  and  Mcllraith  escapes — 
Encounter  with  Watson  on  the  Santee — Brave  Exploit  of  Gavin 
James — Affair  at  Mount  Hope — Encounter  on  the  Williamsburg 
Road — Watson's  Message  to  Marion — McDonald's  Sharp-Shooting 
— His  Message  to  Watson — Watson  blockaded  at  Blakeley's — He 
Escapes  to  Georgetown    --------------   165 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Capture  of  Marion's  Stronghold — Retreat  of  Colonel  Doyle — Marion 
seeks  Watson — Good  news  to  the  Whigs  —  Retreat  of  Watson — 
Battle  of  Camden — Fall  of  Fort  Motte — A  Heroic  Lady — -Hanging 
of  Prisoners — British  Evacuation  of  Georgetown — Abandonment  of 
Seventy-Six — Daring  Movements  of  the  Partisans — Battle  of  Jumby 
— Rescue  of  Colonel  Harden — Defeat  of  Major  Frazier — Battle  of 
Eutaw 182 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Position  of  Affairs  at  the  close  of  the  year  1781 — Attempt  on  Marion's 
Detachment  in  his  Absence — His  unexpected  Return,  and  Repulse  of 
the  Enemy — Meeting  of  the  Legislature — Surprise  of  Marion's  Bri- 
gade^Defeat  of  the  Loyalists  on  the  Pedee — Defeat  of  the  British 
under  Frazier — Death  of  Colonel  Laurens — Evacuation  of  Charles- 
ton— Conclusion  ------  --...----197 


LIFE 

OF 

FRANCIS   MARION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Parentage  and  Birth  of  Francis  Marion — His  Voyage  to  the  West  fn< 
dies — Its  unfortunate  termination — Suffering's  and  narrow  escape  of 
the  Young  Sailor  —  He  turns  Farmer — Indian  Troubles  —  Marion 
volunteers — Indignity  to  the  Indian  Chiefs — Deathof  Col.  Colymore— 
The  Hostages  killed  in  retaliation — The  second  Indian  Campaign— 
The  third  Campaign  —  Massacre  of  the  Garrison  at  Fort  Loudon  — 
Battle  of  Etchoee  —  Gallant  conduct  of  Lieut.  Marion  —  Interesting 
Letter,  written  by  Marion. 


RANCIS  MARION,  whose  name  is 
as  intimately  connected  with  the  ro- 
mance and  adventure  of  the  American 
Revolution,  as  that  of  Bruce  or  of 
Wallace  with  the  marvels  of  the  Scottish 
annals,  was  of  French  extraction.  His 
grandfather  was  one  of  the  emigrants  who 
were  driven  from  France  by  the  policy  to- 
ward the  Protestants,  or  Huguenots,  which  marked 
the  reign  of  Louis  XIV. ;  so  different  from  the  tole- 
tance  of  Henry  IV.     The  d*ite  of  the  arrival  of  tha 


10  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

Marion  family  in  this  country  is  fixed  about  tne 
year  1690.  The  subject  of  our  narrative  was  born 
at  Winyah,  near  Georgetown,  in  1732;  the  same 
year,  our  attentive  readers  will  note,  in  which  George 
Washington  was  born.  He  is  stated  to  have  been 
the  youngest  of  six  children,  five  boys  and  a  girl ; 
and  his  eccentric  biographer,  M.  L.  Weems,  says 
of  him,  that  in  infancy  he  was  a  very  puny  little 
mortal  indeed  ;  and  that  this  delicate  and  insignifi 
cant  appearance  continued  until  he  reached  his 
twelfth  year. 

In  that  year,  either  the  lad's  own  love  of  adven- 
ture, or  the  desire  of  his  parents  that  he  should  try 
change  of  scene  for  the  improvement  of  his  health, 
or  both  causes  combined,  led  to  his  attempting  a 
trip  to  the  West  Indies.  The  name  of  the  vessel  in 
which  he  made  this  voyage  is  lost,  as  are  also  all  the 
incidents  of  the  adventure,  except  its  unfortunate 
termination.  At  the  time  when  the  facts  about  this 
voyage  could  have  been  collected  and  preserved, 
nobody  supposed  that  events  in  the  life  of  Francis 
Marion  would  ever  be  of  any  interest,  except  to  his 
immediate  friends.  But  the  course  he  pursued  in 
private  life,  and  his  conduct  in  his  personal  con- 
cerns, and  in  his  social  relations,  were  such  as  fitted 
him  for  the  eminent  part  he  was  afterward  destined 
to  tak}  in  the  affairs  of  his  country;  and  this  is  a 


LIFE     UF     MARION.  11 

lesson  to  all  our  young  readers  never  to  neglect  their 
advantages,  or  slight  their  opportunities  for  improve- 
ment. There  is  no  one  of  our  young  readers,  male 
or  female,  who  is  not  quite  as  likely  to  be  called 
upon  to  act  an  important  part  as  Francis  Marion 
was ;  and  as  the  good  book  tells  us  that  he  who  is 
faithful  in  little,  is  faithful  also  in  much,  we  should 
always  adopt  as  a  motto,  that  whatever  is  worth 
doing  at  all,  is  worth  doing  well. 

"  Going  to  sea"  was,  in  1740,  a  very  different 
thing  from  what  it  now  is.  There  were  dangers, 
adventures,  and  interesting  circumstances  connected 
with  it,  which,  in  these  days,  are  scarcely  known. 
Navigation  was  more  difficult,  and  less  understood; 
the  sea  was  infested  with  pirates,  and  different  coun- 
tries were  so  little  known,  that  he  who  had  seen  was 
supposed  to  know;  and  the  sailor  of  one  short  voyage 
was  a  personage  of  more  consequence  than  the  vet- 
eran navigator  is  now  considered.  These  tempta- 
tions were  quite  enough  to  make  young  Francis 
desire  very  much  the  opportunity  to  try  his  fortune. 
Some  accounts  say  that  his  mother  did  not  at  all 
favour  the  project ;  and  this  we  can  the  more  readily 
believe,  since  mothers  are  proverbial  for  opposing 
the  "  truant  disposition"  in  children ;  and  the  expe- 
rience of  many  men  will  lead  them  to  acknowledge 


12  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

that  these  kind  though  sometimes  too  timid  advisers 
are  "usually  not  very  far  wrong. 

Master  Francis,  at  any  rate,  discovered  that  going 
to  sea  is  not  always  a  recreation.  Some  accident 
occurred  to  the  vessel  in  which  he  was,  which  caused 
her  to  "founder,"  as  the  sailors  term  it;  which 
means,  to  leak  so  badly  as  to  become  unmanageable, 
and  at  length  to  sink.  It  is  said  that  the  schooner 
was  struck  by  a  large  fish,  probably  a  whale,  with 
such  violence  as  to  start  a  plank.  The  water  rushed 
in  so  rapidly  at  the  leak  thus  made,  that  the  crew 
took  refuge  in  the  boat,  after  trying  by  the  pumps, 
in  vain,  to  keep  their  vessel  afloat.  They  had 
hardly  abandoned  her  before  she  went  down ;  and 
that  so  suddenly  that  no  opportunity  remained  to 
secure  any  water,  or  any  provisions. 

In  this  terrible  condition,  with  no  other  suste- 
nance than  the  body  of  a  little  dog,  which  they 
sacrificed  to  their  hunger,  they  drifted  about  on  the 
ocean.  On  the  sixth  or  seventh  day,  or  perhaps 
later,  little  Marion  was  taken  out  of  the  boat  by  a 
passing  vessel — so  far  exhausted  that  he  could  not 
move  a  limb.  Whether  any  of  his  companions  sur- 
vived is  not  certainly  known  ;  but  as  it  is  often  the 
case  that  the  young,  and  apparently  feeble,  survive 
where  their  elders  perish,  it  is  not  at  all  improbable 
that  Francis,  the  weak  and  delicate  child,  was  the 


LIFE     OF    MARION.  13 

only  person  of  the  crew  who  was  take**  from  the 
boat  alive.  The  utmost  care  and  tenderness  was 
necessary  on  the  part  of  his  deliverers  to  fan  and 
preserve  the  bare  spark  of  life ;  and  under  the  care 
of  the  sailors,  who,  proverbially  humane,  are  at  such 
times  excellent  nurses,  his  life  was  saved. 

Having  thus  undergone  the  utmost  intensity  of 
suffering^  which  he  could  endure,  his  mother  found 
little  trouble  in  inducing;  him  to  foreg-o  all  farther 
attempts  to  become  a  sailor ;  if,  indeed,  he  did  not 
relinquish  the  pursuit  of  his  own  accord,  after  expe- 
rience of  its  hardships.  For  the  next  twelve  or  four- 
teen years  he  was  content  with  the  tranquil  life  of  a 
planter,  though  when  the  occasion  and  opportunity 
for  more  active  life  presented,  he  was  not  backward 
in  improving  them.  We  have  no  record  of  his  life 
during  the  period  that  he  spent  with  his  mother  and 
brothers,  from  the  time  of  his  shipwreck  till  his  27th 
year,  when  the  Cherokee  war  broke  out ;  and  can 
only  conjecture  that  it  was  passed  in  the  pursuits 
and  amusements  usual  to  the  planters  of  that  period. 
Tradition  says  that  he  was  fond  of  his  gun  and 
fishing-rod,  and  uniformly  kind  to  his  dependants; 
and  the  history  of  his  life  shows  that  he  neglected 
no  means  of  improvement  which  his  situation 
afforded.  A  letter,  preserved  by  Weems,  which  we 
shall  presently  quote,  does  honour  no  less  to  his  heart 


14  LIFE     OF    MAKION. 

than  to  his  head ;  and  goes,  with  the  acts  of  his  life, 
to  show  that  war,  with  him,  was  not  pursued  for 
love  of  its  sanguinary  and  cruel  features. 

Marion  first  appeared  as  a  warrior  in  the  Indian 
campaigns  of  1759  and  1761.  Inattention  to  the 
peculiar  habits  of  the  Indians,  disregard  of  their 
feelings  and  prejudices,  and  a  want  of  consideration 
for  their  peculiar  pride,  and  their  method  of  conduct- 
ing intercourse  with  the  whites,  had  caused  a  disaf- 
fection; and  a  disaffection  once  existing,  small  dif- 
ferences led  to  greater,  and  the  colonists  found 
themselves  involved  in  an  Indian  war.  It  is  not 
necessary  for  us  to  go  into  an  examination  of  the 
particular  causes  of  this  difficulty.  The  general 
reasons  which  we  have  stated,  and  which  will  apply 
to  nearly  all  the  wars  between  the  Indians  and  the 
colonists,  will  suffice.  Nor  is  it  just  for  us,  with 
the  results  of  their  measures  before  us,  to  sit  in 
judgment  on  the  colonists.  We  cannot  help  ad- 
mitting the  consequences  of  what  they  did  into  our 
calculation  of  their  conduct ;  but  these  consequences 
were  the  very  things  they  could  not  know,  when 
they  were  called  upon  to  act.  The  history  of  the 
Indian  relations  of  the  colonists  leaves  Americans 
quite  as  much  to  deplore  as  to  be  proud  of;  for  while 
we  celebrate  the  fortitude  of  the  founders  of  the  re- 
public —  women  as  well  as  men  —  we  must  lament 


LIFE    OP    MARION.  15 

the  narrowness  of  policy,  to  use  no  harsher  term, 
which  too  often  caused  the  disasters  which  called 
the  courage  of  the  settlers  into  exercise. 

Francis  Marion  was  a  volunteer  in  a  troop  of 
cavalry  commanded  by  his  brother,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Cherokee  war,  in  1759.  In  this 
campaign,  however,  nothing  occurred  which  gave 
our  hero  any  opportunity  to  distinguish  himself. 
The  savages  were  intimidated  by  the  preparations 
which  the  Carolinians  had  made,  and  sent  a  deputa- 
tion to  Charleston  to  compromise  matters  with  the 
whites.  Gov.  Lyttleton  seized  these  Indian  com- 
missioners as  hostages,  and  proceeded  with  them  to 
the  Indian  country ;  subjecting  them  to  the  keen 
indignity  of  keeping  them  under  a  guard  of  soldiers, 
and  in  this  way  conducted  them  to  the  frontiers.  As 
they  were  chiefs,  and  belonged  to  the  best  families 
among  the  Cherokees,  this  humiliation  wounded 
the  pride  of  the  whole  people.  When  the  governor 
reached  the  frontiers,  he  would  listen  to  overtures 
for  peace  only  on  one  condition.  That  was  that  the 
Indians  should  give  him  twenty-four  men,  to  be  dis- 
posed of  as  he  might  think  proper,  retained  as  pri- 
soners, or  put  to  death  in  retaliation  for  the  same 
number  of  whites,  who  had  been  killed  by  the  In- 
dians in  border  forays. 

Upon  such  conditions  the  treaty  was  concluded 


16  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

after  much  hesitation  on  the  part  of  the  Indians; 
but  no  sooner  had  the  nation  heard  what  their  chiefs 
had  done,  than  all  the  young  men,  who  feared  that 
they  might  he  surrendered  in  compliance  with  the 
terms  of  the  treaty,  made  their  escape;  and  Gov 
Lyttleton  detained  twenty-two  of  the  hostages  whom 
he  had  already  wrongfully  kept  to  make  up  the 
number  of  men  who  had  been  promised  him  by  the 
treaty. 

Such  a  peace  could  lead  only  to  war.  The 
twenty-four  hostages  were  placed  for  safe-keeping  in 
a  frontier  fort;  and  this  fort  was  attempted  by  the 
savages,  almost  before  the  Governor  had  disbanded 
his  forces.  By  a  stratagem,  the  commander  of  the 
station,  Col  Colymore,  was  killed,  and  two  of  his 
lieutenants  were  wounded.  These  officers  had  im- 
prudently granted  the  Indians  an  interview,  the 
whites  standing  upon  one  bank  of  a  river,  and  the 
Indians  upon  the  other ;  but  the  conversation  had 
scarce  commenced,  when,  at  a  signal  from  the  In- 
dian  chief,  a  party  of  savages  suddenly  made  their 
appearance,  and  fired  upon  the  whites,  with  the  re- 
sult that  we  have  already  stated.  In  the  fori,  as  the 
officer  in  command  naturally  supposed  that  this  was 
but  the  signal  for  a  general  attack,  orders  were  given 
to  put  the  hostages  in  irons,  lest  they  should  rise 
and  assist  the  enemy  without.     The  Indians  re- 


LIFE    OP    MARION  17 

sisted,  and  stabbed  three  of  the  soldiers ;  and  the 
soldiers,  already  infuriated  by  the  murder  of  their 
commander,  fell  upon  the  Indian  hostages  and  pat 
every  one  of  them  to  death. 

Now,  of  course,  all  hope  of  peace  or  accommoda- 
tion was  at  an  end.  The  Indians  rose  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  banded  together  with  purposes  of  furious 
vengeance.  The  danger  of  the  colony  was  most  im- 
minent. The  savages  rushed  in  upon  the  frontiers, 
butchering  men,  women,  and  children.  The  small- 
pox raged  in  Charleston  to  such  a  degree  that  most 
of  the  male  inhabitants  were  both  unable  and  un- 
willing to  leave  their  homes  to  q-o  to  the  defence  of 
their  friends  in  the  back  settlements.  But  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia  lent  assistance,  and  a  batta- 
lion and  four  companies  of  regular  troops  were  sent 
forward  from  Canada  to  the  assistance  of  the  dis- 
tressed Carolinians.  The  country  gentlemen  of  the 
colony  rallied  also,  and  it  is  said  with  every  appear- 
ance of  probability  that  Marion  was  among  the 
number.  No  particulars  have  been  handed  down 
of  his  conduct  in  this  campaign;  and  it  is  therefore 
unnecessary  for  us  to  dwell  upon  it.  It  will  be  suf- 
ficient to  say  that  it  ended  in  a  great  battle,  which 
was  far  from  being  decisive  in  its  consequences, 
thougn  the  colonists  were  the  victors.  Several  In- 
dian t  nvns  were  burned,  though  few  of  the  savages 


18  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

were  killed  or  made  prisoners;    and  the  Indians 
were  rather  exasperated  than  humbled. 

In  1761  the  Indians  early  commenced  warlike 
operations;  and  reducing  the  frontier  garrison  ot 
Fort  Loudon,  on  the  Tennessee,  they  took  there  a 
fearful  revenge  for  the  death  of  the  Indian  hostages 
who  had  been  killed  by  the  colonists  at  Prince 
George.  Notwithstanding  the  formal  surrender  of 
the  garrison  at  Fort  Loudon,  by  which  their  lives 
were  assured,  the  Indian  conquerors  massacred  them 
every  one.  This  deed  removed  still  further  every 
hope  of  reconciliation ;  and  the  Indians  were  also 
operated  upon  by  French  emissaries,  and  supplied 
with  arms  by  the  same  nation.  The  Carolinians 
lost  no  time  in  taking  vigorous  measures  to  conduct 
a  war  which  had  now  assumed  the  appearance  of 
more  danger  than  any  which  had  before  threatened 
the  colony. 

In  this  campaign,  beside  the  regular  troops  and 
the  companies  from  sister  colonies,  a  regiment  of 
twelve  hundred  Carolinians  was  mustered  into  the 
service.  In  this  regiment  Marion  was  a  lieutenant, 
ana  among  other  names  of  officers  distinguished 
afterwards  in  the  war  of  the  revolution,  we  find 
Moultrie,  Laurens,  Pickens,  and  Huger.  The  com- 
mand of  the  native  regiment  was  held  by  Col.  Mid- 
dleton,  and  that  oi  the  whole  force  devolved  upon 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  19 

Col.  James  Grant.  Beside  the  colonists  and  regu- 
lars, there  were  a  body  of  friendly  Indians  in  the 
little  army,  making  its  whole  number  twenty-six 
hundred. 

With  this  force,  in  June,  Col.  Grant  penetrated 
the  Indian  country.  Nothing  occurred  to  interfere 
with  his  progress,  until  he  reached  the  point  near 
the  Indian  town  of  Etchoee,  where  the  great  battle 
of  the  preceding  campaign  had  been  fought.  At 
this  place  was  the  principal,  perhaps  the  only  prac- 
ticable entrance  into  the  Cherokee  country,  and  here 
the  Indians  had  mustered  all  their  strength,  to  make 
a  desperate  stand.  It  was  necessary  to  force  a  nar- 
row and  dark  defile,  which*  a  few  determined  men 
could  long  defend  against  a  large  force.  Lieut. 
Marion  was  sent  forward  with  a  party  of  thirty  men 
to  explore  this  dangerous  pass ;  and  at  the  first  fire 
of  the  Indians,  twenty-one  of  his  command  were 
killed.  In  this  perilous  but  honourable  service  he 
justified  the  high  opinion  which  had  been  enter- 
tained of  his  courage  and  skill ;  and  narrowly 
escaped  with  the  life  which  was  reserved  for  those 
important  services  to  his  country  which  fill  so  bright 
a  page  in  her  history. 

The  coming  up  of  the  advance  guard  of  the  army 
preserved  the  remains  of  Marion's  little  band ;  and 
the  action  now  became   general.     The  Cherokees 


20  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

contended  with  great  valour  and  resolution ;  and 
with  so  much  skill  that  the  impression  prevailed 
that  they  were  officered,  in  part  at  least,  by  French- 
men. The  native  Carolinian  regiment,  whose  arms 
were  rifles,  and  whose  system  of  warfare  was  better 
adapted  for  bush-fighting  than  the  discipline  of  the 
regulars,  did  terrible  execution;  while  the  English 
bayonets  were  most  effectual  in  dislodging  the 
Indians  wherever  a  party  made  a  stand.  After  a 
long-contested,  and  sanguinary  engagement,  the 
Indians  gave  way  in  despair.  The  town  of  Etchoee, 
abandoned  by  the  inhabitants,  was  reduced  to  ashes ; 
and  the  English  commander  followed  up  the  work 
by  the  destruction  of  fourteen  other  villages,  and 
the  burning  of  granaries,  and  all  the  standing  corn. 
Marion  deeply  compassionated  the  sufferers  by  the 
devastations  of  the  campaign ;  and  it  was  upon  this 
occasion  that  he  wrote  the  letter  to  which  we  have 
alluded,  and  from  which  we  make  the  following 
extract : 

"  We  arrived  at  the  Indian  towns  in  the  month 
of  July.  As  the  lands  were  rich,  and  the  season 
had  been  favourable,  the  corn  was  bending  under 
the  double  weight  of  lusty  roasting  ears,  and  pods 
of  clustering  beans.  The  furrows  seemed  to  rejoice 
under  their  precious  loads  —  the  fields  stood  thick 
tvith  bread.     We  encamped  the  first  night  in  the 


LIFE    OF     MARION  21 

woods,  near  the  fields,  where  the  whole  army  feasted 
on  the  young  corn,  which,  with  fat  venison,  made 
a  most  delicious  treat. 

"  The  next  morning  we  proceeded,  by  order  oi 
Colonel  Grant,  to  burn  the  Indian  cabins.  Some 
of  our  men  seemed  to  enjoy  this  cruel  work,  laugh- 
ing very  heartily  at  the  curling  names,  as  they 
mounted,  loud-crackling,  over  the  tops  of  the  huts. 
But  to  me  it  appeared  a  shocking  sight.  'Poor 
creatures  !'  thought  I,  '  we  surely  need  not  grudge 
you  such  miserable  habitations  !'  But  when  we 
came,  according  to  orders,  to  cut  down  whole  fields 
of  corn,  I  could  scarcely  refrain  from  tears.  For 
who  could  see  the  stalks  that  stood  so  stately,  with 
broad  green  leaves,  and  gaily  tasselled  shocks,  filled 
with  sweet  milky  fluid,  and  flour,  the  staff  of  life — 
who,  I  say,  without  grief,  could  see  these  sacred 
plants  sinking  under  our  swords,  with  all  their 
precious  load,  to  wither  and  die,  untasted  in  tneir 
morning  fields ! 

"  I  saw  everywhere  around  the  footsteps  of  the 
little  Indian  children,  where  they  had  lately  played 
under  the  shelter  of  the  rustlinsr  corn.  No  doubt 
they  had  often  looked  up  with  joy  to  the  swelling 
shocks,  and  gladdened  when  they  thought  of  their 
abundant  cakes  for  the  coming  winter.  When  we 
are  gone,  thought  I,  they  will  return,  and,  peeping 


22  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

through  the  weeds  with  tearful  eyes,  will  mark  the 
ghastly  ruin  poured  over  their  homes  and  happy 
fields,  where  they  had  so  often  played.  'Who  did 
this  V  they  will  ask  their  mothers.  '  The  white 
people  did  it,'  the  mothers  reply,  'the  Christians 
did  it.' " 

In  this  manner,  Marion  states,  the  army  destroyed 
thousands  of  corn-fields.  The  Indians  sued  for 
peace,  and  the  terrible  ravages  which  the  whites 
had  inflicted  secured  their  submission.  The  letter 
which  we  have  inserted  does  the  character  of  Marion 
more  honour  than  a  volume  of  military  despatches 
could  do ;  and  leads  us  to  think  that  the  object 
could  have  been  obtained  without  this  cruelty. 
However,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  we  do  not 
wish  to  undertake  to  decide  upon  the  conduct  of 
men  in  particular  emergencies,  into  whose  difficul- 
ties of  position  we  cannot  fully  enter. 


LIFE    OF    MARION. 


23 


CHAPTER  II. 

Marion  elected  to  the  Provincial  Congress  —  The  Act  of  Association- 
Destruction  of  Tea  and  Stamped  Paper — -News  of  the  Battle  of  Lex- 
ington—  Measures  of  the  Provincial  Congress — Character  of  the 
Southern  Warfare — Commissions  of  Marion  and  Horry — Their  diffi- 
culties in  raising  Money,  and  ease  in  enlisting  Men  —  Mischiefs  of 
Intemperance — Marion's  Rebuke  to  the  Young  Officer —  His  excel- 
lence as  a  Disciplinarian — His  Promotion  to  a  Majority — The  Defence 
of  Fort  Sullivan — British  Loss — Loss  of  the  Carolinians — Anecdotes 
of  the  Battle — Gallant  conduct  of  Serjeant  Jasper — Marion's  Shot- 
Compliments  to  Serjeant  Jasper. 


OR  the  next  fourteen  years  we  hear 
nothing  of  the  life  of  Marion,  except 
that  he  was  quietly  engaged  in  the 
pursuit  of  the  ordinary  occupations 
of  a  planter.  His  reputation  among  his 
fellow  citizens  may  be  judged  by  what 
his  friend,  General  Horry,  says  of  him. 
"  Though  he  was  neither  handsome  nor 
nor  wealthy,  he  was  universally  beloved. 
The  fairness  of  his  character  —  his  fondness  to  his 
relations  —  his  humanity  to  his  slaves  —  and  his 
bravery  in  the  Indian  war,  —  had  made  him  the 
darling  of  the  country."     Both  r  3  and  his  brother 


witty, 


24  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

Job  were  elected  to  the  Provincial  Congress  which 

o 

assembled  in  1775,  to  take  into  consideration  the 
posture  of  the  colony  toward  the  mother  country. 
This  body  adopted  the  American  Bill  of  Rights,  as 
set  forth  by  the  Continental  Congress ;  established 
committees  of  safety,  and  took  other  steps,  commit- 
ting the  colony  to  resistance  against  the  encroach- 
ments of  the  mother  country.  And  while  these 
official  and  formal  proceedings  were  going  forward, 
the  presence  of  the  representatives  in  Charleston 
was  marked  by  other  acts  not  of  so  open  a  character. 
The  royal  armories  in  and  near  Charleston  were 
broken  open,  and  their  contents  were  removed,  tea 
and  stamped  paper  were  forcibly  seized  and  de- 
stroyed"; and  other  energetic  steps,  which  the  com- 
plexion of  the  times  warranted,  were  taken  to  for- 
ward the  great  cause  in  which  the  patriots  of  South 
Carolina  embarked.  These  transactions  were  not 
of  a  nature  to  permit  the  actors  in  them  to  be  known; 
but  we  can  hardly  doubt  that  our  impulsive  and 
ardent  hero  performed  his  part. 

After  taking  the  initial  steps  to  prepare  for  what- 
ever measures  events  might  render  necessary,  the 
Provincial  Congress  adjourned,  to  re-assemble  on 
the  20th  of  June.  But  the  news  of  the  battle  of 
Lexington,  received  by  express  through  the  Com 
mittees  of  Safety  at  the  north,  caused  the  Provincial 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  25 

Congress  of  South  Carolina  to  be  called  together  on 
the  1st  of  June.  One  of  the  first  transactions  of  the 
Congress  was  to  pass  an  Act  of  Association,  binding 
the  subscribers  to  union  under  every  tie  of  religion 
and  honor  for  the  defence  of  their  injured  country, 
and  engaging  them  to  the  sacrifice  of  life  and  for- 
tune  to  secure  her  freedom  and  safety.  The  instru 
ment  also  declared  those  unfriendly  to  the  liberties 
of  the  colonies  who  should  refuse  to  subscribe  theii 
names  to  it. 

It  is  proper  here  to  remind  the  young  reader  that 
the  proportion  of  friends  to  the  royal  government 
was  much  greater  in  the  Southern  colonies  than  at 
the  North.  The  reason  for  this  was  found  in  the 
fact  that  at  the  South  there  was  really  less  personal 
reason  for  resistance  to  the  power  of  the  crown  than 
in  New  England.  The  dispute  and  resistance  ori- 
ginated in  New  England.  The  points  in  question 
affected  the  Northern  colonies  much  more  than 
they  did  the  Southern ;  and  the  Southern  colonies, 
South  Carolina  in  particular,  had  received  much 
more  aid  and  benefit  from  the  mother  country  than 
the  Northern  colonies  did.  Those  who,  in  the 
South,  espoused  the  cause  of  freedom,  therefore,  did 
it  from  sympathy  with  their  fellow  colonists,  and 
from  a  respect  for  the  great  principles  involved 
mere  than  from  any  direct  and  present  interest  in 


26  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

the  quarrel.  In  such  a  state  of  things  it  is  not 
remarkable  that  the  proportion  of  loyalists  should 
be  greater  m  the  Southern  colonies  than  m  the 
North.  While  we  accord  the  credit  of  the  highest 
patriotism  to  the  Southern  Whigs,  the  time  is  past 
when  the  Southern  Tories,  or  loyalists,  could  be 
spoken  of  only  with  opprobrium.  We  can,  indeed, 
now  afford  to  be  magnanimous,  and  to  allow  to  the 
loyalists,  as  well  as  the  patriots,  the  plea  of  acting 
from  principle,  and  of  being  guided  by  motives 
which  seemed  to  them  good  and  sufficient. 

But  the  existence  of  a  formidable  loyal  interest 
in  the  South  gave  the  war  there  a  far  more  sano-ui- 
nary  character  than  at  the  North.  Friend  was 
arrayed  against  friend, — brother  against  brother, — 
child  against  parent,  and  parent  against  child. 

There  is  no  hate  like  love  to  hatred  turned ; 

and  we  shall  find,  as  we  proceed  in  our  narrative, 
many  scenes  at  the  recital  of  which  the  heart  aches. 
War  is  always  terrible  in  itself,  however  just  the 
cause  in  which  it  is  undertaken ;  and  there  is  no 
warfare  more  revolting  than  what  is  called  a  "  civil 
war;"  that  is  to  say,  one  in  which  members  of  the 
same  state  and  brothers  of  the  same  family  draw  the 
sword  upon  each  other.  In  this  view,  our  Southern 
brethren  had  much  more  to  endure  than  the  people 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  21 

of  the  North,  who  were  united,  almost  to  a  man, 
against  a  foreign  foe. 

After  the  passage  of  the  Act  of  Association,  the 
Congress  of  South  Carolina  proceeded  immediately 
to  active  measures  for  the  prosecution  of  the  system 
of  resistance  to  which  their  measures  had  committed 
the  colony.  On  the  fourth  day  of  their  session  they 
passed  an  act  for  raising  three  regiments,  two  of 
infantry,  and  one  of  horse,  making  in  all  about  two 
thousand  men.  A  mil  Lion  of  money  was  voted  for 
the  exigencies  of  the  army.  Non-subscribers  to 
the  Act  of  Association  were  made  amenable  to  the 
General  Committee,  and  their  punishment  was  left 
discretionary  with  that  body.  The  militia  of  the 
colony  were  required  to  be  on  duty  as  if  the  country 
were  in  a  state  of  actual  warfare ;  and  by  these 
vigorous  and  decisive  steps  it  was  made  impossible 
for  any  citizen  to  remain  neutral,  or  uncommitted. 
After  a  session  of  about  twenty  days,  the  Congress 
adjourned,  having  conferred  its  powers  on  the  Gen- 
eral Committee  and  the  Council  of  Safety. 

Now  commences  the  active  part  of  Marion's 
revolutionary  career.  On  the  21st  of  June  he  was 
commissioned  as  Captain  in  the  second  regiment, 
under  Colonel  William  Moultrie,  his  captain  in  the 
Cherokee  campaign.  In  the  same  regiment  Captain 
P   Horry  also  received  a  captain's  commission.    To 


28  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

this  gentleman,  himself  a  most  efficient  officer,  an 
enthusiastic  patriot,  and  a  devoted  friend  of  Marion's, 
we  are  indebted  for  most  of  the  particulars  of  his 
life  which  have  reached  us.  He  furnished  Mr. 
Weems  with  the  particulars  which  that  eccentric 
writer  has  preserved ;  and  many  other  facts  have 
reached  us  through  Captain  Harry's  account  of  his 
own  life,  still  unpublished,  which  Mr.  Simms  often 
refers  to  in  his  life  of  Marion. 

Captain  Horry's  account  of  the  raising  of  his  own 
company  and  that  of  Marion  is  very  amusing. 
Hardly  were  they  commissioned  when  they  applied 
themselves  to  the  work.  The  first  thing  necessary 
was  money.  They  applied  for  a  portion  of  the  mil- 
lion that  had  been  appropriated,  but  the  money  had 
been  voted  only,  and  not  raised,  and  in  that  quarter 
our  captains  could  not  get  "  a  single  dollar."  So, 
on  Marion's  suggestion,  the  two  friends  determined 
to  borrow  the  money  to  war  against  Great  Britain 
on  their  own  credit. 

"  Away  went  we,"  says  Horry,  "  to  borrow  money 
of  our  friends  in  Charleston ;  I  mean  hard  money. 
And  hard  money  it  was  indeed.  The  gold  and 
silver  all  appeared  as  if  it  had  caught  the  instinct 
ol  water-witches,  diving,  at  the  first  flash  of  war,  to 
the  bottom  of  the  usurers'  trunks  and  strong  boxes, 
For  two  whole  days,  and  with  every  effort  we  could 


LIFE    OF    MARIOS.  29 

make,  we  collected  but  the  pitiful  sum  of  one  hun- 
dred dollars  !  However,  fully  resolved  that  nothing 
should  stop  us,  we  got  our  regimentals  the  next 
moT  nin£  from  the  tailor's,  and  having:  crammed  our 
saddle-bags  with  some  clean  shirts,  a  stout  luncheon 
of  bread  and  cheese,  and  a  bottle  of  brandy,  we 
mounted,  and  with  hearts  light  as  young  lovers  on 
a  courting  scheme,  we  dashed  off  to  recruit  our  com- 
panies." 

In  a  \ery  short  time  the  two  captains  filled  up 
their  complements  of  sixty  men  each.  Both  of  them 
were  well  known  in  the  tract  which  they  selected 
for  recruiting;  and  Marion,  as  we  have  already 
stated,  was  a  great  popular  favourite.  Among  the 
munitions  with  which  the  two  captains  furnished 
their  saddle-bags,  the  bottle  of  brandy  will  strike 
the  present  generation  as  a  portion  of  the  stores 
which  might  have  been  better  omitted.  At  that 
day  it  v/as  a  common  companion  on  all  excursions 
of  business  and  of  pleasure,  and  though  its  mischiefs 
were  by  no  means  unperceived,  nobody  seemed  to 
aim  at  the  thorough  and  radical  cure.  The  regi 
ment  in  which  Marion  and  Horry  held  their  com 
mand  lost  two  officers,  a  captain  and  a  lieutenant 
before  active  service  commenced,  by  the  vice  of 
intemperance.  These  were  extreme  cases,  or  they 
vrould  not  have  been  recorded.     The  indirect  mis 


30  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

chiefs  and  difficulties,  which  the  use  of  intoxicating 
drinks  has  caused  in  all  armies,  form  no  small  part 
of  the  miseries  of  war.  It  leads  to  disobedience  and 
impatience  under  discipline ;  and  is  a  companion 
and  abettor  in  all  unsoldierlike  conduct,  and  all 
inhuman  sport. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing,  the  barba- 
rous amusement  of  cock-fighting  was  very  common 
in  Carolina  and  other  places,  whence  it  is  now  ban- 
ished, by  the  common  consent  of  all  gentlemen. 
One  of  Marion's  officers,  anxious  to  participate  in 
such  amusements,  came  to  his  commander  with  a 
falsehood  in  his  mouth,  and  asked  a  furlough  of  two 
or  three  days,  on  the  pretence  that  he  wished  to 
visit  a  dying  father.  He  stayed  from  duty  two 
weeks,  instead  of  two  days,  and  visited  the  haunts 
of  gamblers,  instead  of  his  parents.  When  he  re- 
turned, and  commenced  a  prevaricating  apology, 
Marion,  who  knew  the  truth,  interrupted  him  with 
the  cutting  answer :  "Ah,  is  that  you !  well,  never 
mind, — we  never  missed  you  !" 

Marion  had  an  excellent  tact  at  discipline,  and; 
as  we  shall  perceive  in  the  progress  of  his  life,  his 
immediate  command  was  always  celebrated  for  its 
excellent  order  and  efficiency.  He  was  indefati- 
gable in  drilling  his  men,  and  as  he  never  required 
of  others  more  than  he  was  himself  willing  to  per- 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  31 

torm,  he  raised  them  to  a  degree  of  military  skih1 
which  produced  a  most  excellent  effect  upon  all, 
b)r  emulation.  This  trait  in  the  military  character 
of  Marion  is  the  more  worthy  of  remembrance,  be- 
cause the  popular  opinion  has  been  that  his  disci- 
pline was  lax,  and  that  his  men  were  more  to  be 
relied  on  for  rude  courage,  than  for  good  training. 
The  raising  of  new  regiments  caused  the  promotion 
of  Marion  to  a  Majority.  His  friend  Horry  thus 
speaks  of  him  in  his  new  position  : 

"  His  held  of  duties  became,  of  course,  much 
more  wide  and  difficult,  but  he  seemed  to  come  for- 
ward to  the  discharge  of  them  with  the  familiarity 
and  alertness  of  one  who,  as  General  Moultrie  used 
to  say,  was  born  a  soldier.  In  fact,  he  appeared 
never  so  happy,  never  go  completely  in  his  element, 
as  when  he  had  his  officers  and  men  out  on  parade, 
at  close  training.  And  for  cleanliness  of  person, 
neatness  of  dress,  and  gentlemanly  manners,  with 
celerity  and  exactness  in  performing  their  evolu- 
tions, they  soon  became  the  admiration  and  praise 
both  of  citizens  and  soldiers.  And,  indeed,  I  am 
not  afraid  to  say  that  Marion  was  the  architect  of 
the  second  regiment,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  thai 
excellent  discipline,  and  confidence  in  themselves, 
which  gained  them  such  reputation  whenever  they 
were  called  to  face  their  enemies." 


32  LIFE    OF     MARION, 

In  March,  1776,  the  second  regiment,  under  Col. 
Moultrie,  was  ordered  to  take  post  on  Sullivan's 
Island,  at  the  entrance  of  Charleston  Harbour.  The 
fort,  when  the  regiment  entered,  txisted  only  in 
name.  The  soldiers  proceeded  immediately  to  con- 
struct the  defences,  of  palmetto  logs,  which  had 
been  rafted  to  the  place.  The  interstices  were  filled 
in  with  sand ;  and  the  works  proved,  upon  trial,  an 
excellent  defence ;  thougn  unfinished  when  the 
British  fleet  appeared  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour. 
The  garrison  of  the  fort  consisted  of  four  hundred 
and  thirty-five  men.  The  cannon  mounted  were 
thirty-one  in  number ;  nine  French  twenty-sixes, 
six  English  eighteens,  nine  twelve,  and  seven  nine- 
pounders. 

The  British  fleet  consisted  of  nine  vessels,  under 
command  of  Sir  Peter  Parker.  Of  these,  two  were 
fifty  gun  ships,  five  carried  twenty-eight  guns  each, 
and  one  twenty-six ;  the  other  was  a  bomb-vessel. 
On  the  20th  of  June,  these  vessels  anchored  before 
the  fort,  with  springs  on  their  cables,  and  com- 
menced a  bombardment.  The  fire  from  the  ships 
was  promptly  answered  ;  but  the  ammunition  in  the 
fort  was  carefully  husbanded.  In  this,  as  in  many 
of  the  battles  of  the  revolution,  the  Americans 
laboured  under  the  disheartening  disadvantage  of  a 
scarcity  of  amm  mition.     Had  the  supply  of  pow- 


LIFE     OF    MARION.  33 

der  in  the  fort  been  ample,  the  British  fleet  must 
have  been  destroyed.  The  field  officers  in  person 
trained  the  guns,  and  almost  every  shot  from  the 
fort  did  execution.  On  board  the  British  vessels 
the  loss  was  severe.  The  commodore's  ship,  the 
BristDl,  had  44  men  killed,  and  a  large  number 
wounded,  Sir  Peter  Parker  himself  losing  an  arm. 
The  other  fifty  gun  ship  had  57  men  killed  and  30 
wounded.  On  board  the  smaller  vessels  the  loss 
was  not  severe,  as  the  guns  of  the  fort  were  prin- 
cipally directed  against  the  larger  craft.  One  of 
the  smaller  vessels  of  the  fleet  ran  aground  and  was 
burnt;  and  the  whole  nine  were  severely  shattered 
in  hulls  and  ri^insr. 

DO         O 

The  Carolinians  lost  twelve  men  killed,  and 
twenty-four  wounded.  Among  the  killed  was  Ser- 
jeant Macdonald.  The  loss  of  this  gallant  soldier 
was  deeply  felt ;  as  he  had  endeared  himself  to  his 
comrades  by  all  the  virtues  which  ennoble  the  man 
and  the  soldier.  As  he  was  borne  from  the  gun,  in 
directing  which  he  received  his  mortal  wound,  he 
cried,  "  I  die — but  do  not  let  the  cause  of  liberty 
die  with  me !" 

During  the  battle  the  men  displayed  the  coolness, 
of  veterans,  and  the  enthusiasm  of  patriots.  The 
Americans,  on  this,  as  on  other  occasions,  conducted 
themselves  like  men  who  were  in  arms  not  for  biro, 

c 


34  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

but  in  defence  of  their  country;  soldiers  who  had 
taken  up  the  sword  from  principle,  and  were  deter- 
mined not  to  disgrace  themselves  or  the  cause  in 
which  they  had  embarked.  It  required  no  ordinary 
degree  of  courage  to  face  an  enemy  of  whose  skill 
and  valour  many  of  them  had  seen  such  wonder 
ful  proofs  when  fighting  with  them,  side  by  side, 
against  the  Indians  and  the  French ;  and  the  im- 
mense responsibility  which  the  colonies  were  incur- 
ring in  engaging  in  war  with  the  country  which 
they  were  accustomed  to  consider  invincible,  must 
have  forced  itself  upon  the  thoughts  of  the  reflect 
ing.  The  position  which  they  held  that  day  was 
by  no  means  a  good  one.  So  little  safe,  with  any 
ordinary  defenders,  was  it  considered,  that  General 
Charles  Lee,  who  had  been  despatched  by  Congress 
to  the  command  of  the  southern  army,  would  have 
abandoned  Fort  Sullivan  as  untenable,  even  before 
the  arrival  of  the  fleet,  if  he  had  not  been  overruled 
by  the  advice  of  the  colonial  officers.  The  stand 
that  day  made  had  a  most  inspiriting  influence  upon 
the  spirits  of  the  country ;  and  the  defence  of  Fort 
Sullivan  forms  one  of  the  brightest  pages  in  the 
history  of  the  Revolution. 

There  are  two  interesting  anecdotes  relative  to 
.his  battle,  which  we  must  not  omit,  The  flag  of 
iihe  fort  floated  from  a  high  mast,  against  which  the 


jW'Wltllili'.ll.l,!  ,-  '  ■  '/■.'■"^..fty.  »  '  ,  |  ,  ' '  J  j  J  |  I     |  J  |  •,  '  l  |  '  J  ,  J  1 1  j  ,  '  ,  |'  „  ,  '      ~  .li  .  j  j  .  ,  |  ,'  ,  "■    -"  ■  ^  ■      ,'  ^  F        I  ..  I  ,  I  'I  i,  I  ,  ,.l  I    ]  !  I  J.  '  ■  I '3  M  ■  j  I  1  1  I  1 1  fl    |  J  W  ^  Ml 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  35 

enemy  directed  their  fire,  until  it  was  shattered  and 
fed  over  the  ramparts  upon  the  beach.  Serjeant 
Jasper  leaped  over,  and  walking  the  whole  length 
of  the  fort  in  the  face  of  the  enemy's  fire,  and  de- 
taching the  flag,  fastened  it  to  a  sponge-staff  with  a 
cord,  and  planted  the  staff  on  the  ramparts. 

The  last  shot  on  this  day  is  ascribed  to  Marion. 
Just  at  sunset,  as  the  British  ships  were  slipping 
their  cables,  and  moving  out  of  the  range  of  fire 
from  the  fori,  a  cannon  having  just  been  charged, 
Marion  took  the  match,  and  caused  the  piece  to  be 
aimed  at  the  commodore's  ship.  The  ball  entered 
the  cabin,  where  two  young  officers  were  taking 
some  refreshment,  and  killing  both,  glanced  thence 
upon  the  main  deck,  where,  in  its  course,  it  killed 
three  sailors,  and  then  passed  through  the  side  of 
the  vessel  into  the  sea.  This  remarkable  occur- 
rence was  narrated  by  some  sailors  who  deserted 
from  the  commodore's  vessel  on  the  night  following 
the  engagement. 

On  the  next  day  after  the  battle  abundant  refresh- 
ments were  sent  down  to  the  fort  from  Charleston, 
and  on  the  second  day  the  governor  and  council, 
and  many  of  the  principal  residents  of  Charleston 
paid  the  soldiers  a  visit.  The  guests  were  received 
in  due  form,  and  the  soldiers  were  highly  compli 
mented  by  their  guests,  as  they  deserved  to  be,  foj 


3(3  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

their  gallant  conduct.  The  regiment  Mras  presented 
with  a  superb  stand  of  colours  by  Mrs.  Barnard 
Elliott,  which  were  delivered,  as  of  right,  into  the 
charge  of  Serjeant  Jasper,  who  promised  never  to 
surrender  them  but  with  his  life.  To  the  same 
brave  fellow  Governor  Rutledge  presented  his  own 
sword.  He  also  offered  the  Serjeant  a  lieutenant's 
commission  on  the  spot,  but  Jasper  modestly  bul 
absolutely  refused  it.  He  had  never  learned  to 
read  or  write,  and  feared  that  he  was  not  fit,  thus 
ignorant,  to  associate  with  officers. 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  37 


CHAPTER  III. 

Effects  of  the  Successful  Defence  of  Fort  Sullivan — Evil  Inluenccs  of 
a  condition  of  Suspense — Serjeant  Jasper — His  Talent  at  Disguises, 
and  Visits  to  the  Enemy — His  first  call  upon  his  Brother  in  the  British 
Army — His  Second  Trip,  with  a  Companion — A  Party  of  American 
Prisoners  brought  into  the  British  Camp — Their  Distress — Jasper  and 
Newton  determine  to  liberate  them — They  follow,  and  by  a  Surprise 
conquer  their  Guard,  killing-  four,  and  making  the  others  Prisoners- 
Ill-advised  Operations  against  Savannah — Repulse  of  the  Americans 
and  Death  of  the  brave  Serjeant  Jasper. 


FTER  the  brilliant  defence  of  Fort 
Sullivan,  since  called  Fort  Moultrie, 
in  honour  of  the  gallant  officer  com- 
manding, little  of  much  interest  oc- 
curs in  the  life  of  Marion,  or,  indeed,  in  the 
history  of  South  Carolina,  for  three  years. 
^  The  defence  of  Fort  Sullivan  was,  in  its 
f'  consequences,  most  important.  It  secured 
the  State  against  invasion  for  three  years,  and  thus 
postponed  the  horrors  of  war  in  a  district  of  country 
where  the  people  were  divided.  But  the  State  by 
no  means  escaped  all  the  disadvantage  of  a  condi 
tion  of  things  by  which  government  was  in  a  great 


38  LIFE    OF    MARION, 

degree  suspended.  Industry  languished,  since  peo- 
pie  could  not,  in  a  state  of  such  uncertainty,  apply 
themselves  to  their  ordinary  pursuits,  or  count  upon 
the  usual  rewards  of  labour.  Dissolute  habits  took 
root,  and  the  foundation  was  laid  for  the  subsequent 
partisan  warfare,  in  which,  as  has  been  forcibly 
remarked,  Whigs  and  Tories  pursued  and  hunted 
each  other  with  the  ferocity  of  demons.  While 
estimating  the  cost  of  the  political  privileges  with 
which  our  happy  country  is  blessed,  and  the  secu- 
rity and  comfort  in  which  we  now  live,  under  our 
well-established  laws  and  institutions,  we  should  not 
forget  the  terrors  and  sufferings  of  the  state  of 
anarchy  to  which  the  colonists  were  so  much 
exposed,  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  during  the 
long  years  through  which  the  contest  for  indepen- 
dence extended. 

Before  resuming  the  life  of  Marion  and  his  active 
services,  the  reader  will  be  interested  in  learning 
something  more  of  the  feats  of  Serjeant  Jasper,  of 
whom  we  heard  in  the  last  chapter.  Little  more, 
unfortunately,  remains  to  be  said  of  him,  since  his 
chivalric  and  heedless  courage  early  brought  him 
to  the  end  of  his  life  and  services.  The  Serjeant 
had  a  brother  who  was  as  brave  as  himself,  and  to 
whom  he  was  very  much  attached.  This  brother 
was  not  a   republican,  but  a  loyalist,  and   was  as 


LIFE     OF     MARION  39 

highly  esteemed  for  his  courage  and  manly  qualities 
Ln  the  British  service,  as  the  Serjeant  was  in  the 
American  army.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  bro- 
thers to  be  thus  divided  in  opinion,  but  it  was  not 
usual  for  them  to  retain  their  affection  for  each 
other,  as  the  two  Jaspers  did. 

The  Serjeant  possessed  a  wonderful  capacity  for 
disguising  his  appearance,  and  counterfeiting  char- 
acter. He  delighted  in  the  dangerous  duties  of  a 
scout  or  spy,  penetrating  often  the  enemy's  camp  or 
garrison,  at  the  hazard  of  his  life,  and  discovering 
their  force,  their  intentions,  and  all  other  particulars 
which  it  was  useful  or  necessary  for  the  Americans 
to  know,  and  not  unfrequently  bringing  back  with 
him  prisoners  or  deserters.  So  complete  was  Jasper 
in  the  arts  of  strategy,  that  his  superior  officers 
allowed  him  the  privilege  of  selecting  companions 
from  the  brigade,  and  going  out  on  excursions 
whenever  he  chose,  and  returning  when  he  thought 
fit.  The  reader  will  readily  perceive  that  this  was 
placing  very  high  confidence  in  his  patriotism ;  for 
being  unquestioned  and  unsuspected,  he  had  it  in 
his  power  to  play  the  traitor.  If  he  had  been  a 
man  like  Arnold,  for  instance,  and  willing  to  sacri- 
fi.ce  his  country  to  his  own  selfish  purposes,  he 
w  mid  have  had  abundant  opportunity  to  do  great 
mischief.     Uprightness  a. id  honour  confer  a  truei 


40  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

nobility  upon  the  humblest  man,  than  any  rank  a* 
birth  can  invest  him  with,  who  is  destitute  of  these 
nigh  attributes. 

Though  Serjeant  Jasper  had  the  privilege  of 
taking  as  many  men  with  him  as  he  chose,  he  sel 
dom  took  more  than  six.  Col.  Moultrie,  in  his  Me- 
moirs, says  :  "He  often  went  out,  and  returned  with 
prisoners,  before  I  knew  that  he  was  gone.  I  have 
known  of  his  catching  a  party  that  was  looking  for 
him.  He  has  told  me  that  he  could  have  killed 
single  men  several  times,  but  he  would  not;  he 
would  rather  let  them  get  off.  He  went  into  the 
British  lines,  as  a  deserter,  at  Savannah,  complain- 
ing at  the  same  time  of  our  ill-usage  of  him ;  he 
was  gladly  received  (they  having  heard  of  his  char- 
acter) and  caressed  by  them.  He  stayed  eight  days, 
and,  after  informing  himself  well  of  their  strength, 
situation  and  intentions,  he  returned  to  us  again; 
but  that  game  he  could  not  play  a  second  time. 
With  his  little  party  he  was  always  hovering  about 
the  enemy's  camp,  and  frequently  bringing  in 
prisoners." 

The  particular  feat  which  has  made  Serjeant  Jas- 
per more  celebrated  than  any  other,  we  will  now 
relate.  His  brother  was  in  the  British  garrison  at 
a  place  called  Ebenezer.  He  was  more  astonished 
than  pleased  to  see  the  Serjeant  in  the  camp;  fof 


LIFE    OF     MARION  41 

Serjeant  Jasper  was  so  well  known  that  his  brother 
was  terribly  alarmed  lest  he  should  be  seized  at 
once  and  hung  as  a  spy.  The  Serjeant,  however, 
told  him  not  to  be  alarmed,  for  he  was  no  longer  an 
American  soldier,  and  he  told  this  story  with  such 
an  appearance  of  sincerity,  that  his  brother  believed 
him.  By  the  rules  of  war,  falsehood,  in  a  case  like 
this,  where  a  man  is  spying  upon  the  enemy,  has 
always  been  considered  allowable;  and,  whatever 
we  may  think  of  the  moral  character  of  such  a  pro- 
ceeding, it  is  certain  that  Serjeant  Jasper  saw  no- 
thing but  a  justifiable  artifice  in  it.  His  brother 
was  delighted  at  the  change,  and  told  him  at  once 
that,  such  was  his  reputation,  he  could  have  a  com- 
mission in  the  British  army.  The  Serjeant  did  not 
wish  to  carry  the  deception  any  farther  than  would 
answer  his  present  purpose;  and  declined  to  enter 
the  royal  army.  He  said  that  though  he  saw  little 
encouragement  to  fight  for  his  country  any  longer, 
he  could  not  find  it  in  his  heart  to  fight  against  her. 
After  lengthening  his  visit  to  two  or  three  days, 
long  enough  to  discover  all  that  was  to  be  learned, 
he  pretended  that  he  was  going  to  remove  to  a  part 
of  the  country  where  he  should  not  be  obliged  to 
participate  at  all  in  the  war,  and  left  his  brother 
under  that  impression.  He  started  off  in  such  a 
direction  that  his  brother  should  not  suspect  what 


42  LIFE     OF    MARION, 

were  his  intentions,  and,  by  a  very  circuitous  and 
round-about  road,  returned  to  the  American  camp, 
ind  reported  all  that  he  had  seen.  But  there  was 
nothing  going  forward,  and  Jasper,  wearied  with 
dleness,  determined,  after  two  or  three  weeks,  to 
make  another  visit  to  his  brother — a  most  hazardous 
enterprise,  and  one  which  a  man  less  bold  and  less 
crafty  than  Serjeant  Jasper  would  not  have  dared 
to  undertake. 

On  his  second  visit,  he  took  with  him  another 
Serjeant,  whose  name  was  Newton.  His  friend,  in 
personal  strength  and  courage  and  cunning,  was 
very  nearly  equal  to  Jasper  himself.  His  unsus- 
pecting brother  was  very  glad  to  see  him ;  and  it  is 
very  likely  that,  on  this  second  visit,  he  made  him- 
self the  more  welcome  by  giving  pretended  informa- 
tion about  the  American  army.  The  part  of  a  spy 
is  a  very  difficult  as  well  as  dangerous  one,  and 
requires  a  great  deal  of  art  and  invention,  and  per- 
fect presence  of  mind. 

How  well  the  two  Serjeants  played  their  part 
may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  they  spent  two  or 
three  days  unsuspected  in  the  British  camp.  On 
the  third  day,  the  loyalist  Jasper  told  his  brother 
that  he  had  some  bad  news  for  him.  Both  brothers 
appear  to  have  been  kind-hearted  and  humane ;  and 
the  bad  news  was  that  several  American  prisoners 


LIFE    OF     MARION,  43 

had  been  brought  into  camp  that  morning,  and 
were  on  their  way  to  Savannah  for  trial.  What 
made  their  case  peculiarly  dangerous  was  that  they 
were  men  who,  having  enlisted  in  the  British  army, 
had  deserted  and  joined  their  countrymen  ;  and  the 
custom  of  war  is  to  hang  deserters.  There  seemed, 
indeed,  little  chance  for  these  poor  fellows. 

Serjeant  Jasper  asked  to  see  them,  and  his  bro- 
ther took  him  and  his  friend  Newton  to  visit  the 
prisoners.  Weems  gives  a  very  touching  descrip- 
tion of  their  appearance,  probably  as  it  was  related 
by  Jasper  himself  to  Major  Horry,  who  supplied 
Weems  with  his  facts.  We  copy  it,  as  one  of  the 
oest  specimens  of  a  curious  writer's  style — border- 
ing upon  the  bombastic,  but  much  less  extravagant 
than  this  writer  generally  is,  and  really  affecting  : 

"  Indeed  it  was  a  mournful  sight  to  behold  them, 
where  they  sat,  poor  fellows  !  all  hand-cuffed  on  the 
ground.  But  all  pity  of  them  was  forgot,  soon  as 
the  eye  was  turned  to  a  far  more  doleful  sight  hard 
by,  which  was  a  young  woman,  wife  of  one  of  the 
prisoners,  with  her  child,  a  sweet  little  boy  of  about 
five  years  old.  Her  humble  garb  showed  her  to  be 
poor,  but  her  deep  distress,  and  her  sympathy  with 
her  unfortunate  husband,  showed  that  she  was  rich 
m  that  pure  conjugal  love,  that  is  more  precious 
than  all  gold. 


44  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

"  She  generally  sat  on  the  ground  opposite  to  her 
husband,  with  her  little  boy  leaning  on  her  lap,  and 
her  coal-black  hair  spreading  in  long-neglected 
tresses  on  her  neck  and  bosom.  And  thus  in  silence 
she  sat,  a  statue  of  grief,  sometimes  with  her  eyes 
fixed  hard  upon  the  earth,  like  one  lost  in  thought, 
sighing  and  groaning  the  while,  as  if  her  heart 
would  burst; — then  starting,  as  from  a  reverie,  she 
would  dart  her  eager  eyes,  red  with  weeping,  on 
her  husband's  face,  and  there  would  gaze,  with 
looks  so  piercing  sad,  as  though  she  saw  him  strug- 
gling in  the  halter,  herself  a  widow,  and  her  son  an 
orphan.  Straight  her  frame  would  begin  to  shake 
with  the  rising  agony,  and  her  face  to  change  and 
swell ;  then,  with  eyes  swimming  in  tears,  she 
would  look  round  upon  us  all,  for  pity  and  for  help, 
with  cries  sufficient  to  melt  the  heart  of  a  demon; 
while  the  child,  seeing  his  father's  hands  fast  bound, 
and  his  mother  weeping,  added  to  the  distressing 
scene,  by  his  artless  cries  and  tears." 

How  such  a  spectacle  as  this  would  affect  men 
like  Jasper  and  Newton,  ardent  in  patriotism — and 
in  sympathy  with  the  prisoners — fond  of  adventure, 
and  delio-hting  in  that  which  seemed  most  difficult, 
will  readily  be  imagined.  Each  silently  made  up 
his  determination;  and  when  they  found  a  mo- 
ment's opportunity  to  interchange  their  thoughts, 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  45 

the  consultation  was  brief.  It  was  only  the  mutual 
expression  of  a  pledge  to  liberate  the  unfortunate 
men,  or  die  in  the  bold  attempt. 

The  prisoners  were  soon  on  their  way  to  Savan- 
nah, under  a  guard  of  eight  men,  with  a  serjeant 
and  corporal.  The  two  friends  left  the  camp  in  a 
different  direction,  to  avoid  suspicion  ;  a  precaution 
which  it  would  certainly  seem  hardly  needful  to  be 
taken  ;  for  who  could  have  suspected  two  unarmed 
men  of  an  intention  to  attack  ten  soldiers?  The 
full  difficulty  of  their  enterprise  did  not  occur  to 
Jasper  and  Newton,  until  they  had  made  a  circuit 
and  overtaken  the  party.  They  followed  and 
watched  them,  unperceived,  for  several  miles,  dis- 
covering no  opportunity  to  attempt  a  rescue.  Within 
two  miles  of  Savannah  is  a  spring,  which  was  then 
a  stopping-place  for  travellers,  and  is  now  an  object 
of  great  interest  to  the  visitor,  as  the  scene  of  one 
of  the  most  chivalrous  deeds  of  the  Revolution. 
The  two  friends,  as  a  last  hope,  trusted  that  the 
guard  would  stop  here  to  refresh  themselves  and 
their  prisoners ;  and,  making  a  short  cut  through 
the  woods,  they  arrived  on  the  ground  first,  and 
waited  there  in  ambush. 

They  had  not  long  waited,  when  the  melancholy 
procession  came  in  sight.  The  guard,  now  in  view 
cf  Savannah,  felt  the  responsibility  of  their  charge 


46  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

almost  at  an  end,  and  naturally  relaxed  a  caution 
which  had  not  been  increased  by  any  movement  of 
the  heart-broken  prisoners.  Their  sad  march  had 
been  undisturbed  by  any  sight  or  sound  of  danger; 
and  undoubtedly  the  wailing  of  the  wretched  wife 
and  mother  had  communicated  to  the  soldiers  a 
compassionate  share  in  the  distress  of  the  captives. 
The  latter  knew  that  the  form  of  trial  through 
which  they  were  to  go  would  be  summary  and 
pitiless ;  and  that  but  one  fate,  and  that  sudden  and 
ignominious,  awaited  men  who  having  enlisted  in 
the  royal  army,  had  deserted,  and  were  captured 
with  arms  in  their  hands. 

The  corporal,  with  four  men,  conducted  the  pri- 
soners toward  the  spring,  near  which  the  unhappy 
party  sank  down  on  the  ground  to  rest.  The  un- 
happy wife  seated  herself,  as  usual  when  the  party 
rested,  opposite  her  husband  ;  and  the  unconscious 
babe,  wearied  with  the  journey,  fell  into  the  peace- 
ful sleep  of  ignorance  in  her  arms.  The  Serjeant's 
four  men  grounded  their  arms  and  brought  up  the 
rear.  Two  of  the  corporal's  men  stood  guard  over 
the  prisoners,  the  other  two,  resting  their  muskets 
against  a  tree,  proceeded  leisurely  to  drink  at  the 
spring,  and,  having  filled  their  canteens  afresh,  had 
turned  toward  the  prisoners  to  give  them  water. 

"  Now,  Newton !"  said  Jasper  hurriedly      In  an 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  47 

instant  the  two  friends  sprang-  together  to  the  tree 
where  the  muskets  stood — seized  them,  and  shot 
down  the  two  soldiers  who  stood  as  guard.  The 
Serjeant  and  corporal,  the  only  ones  of  the  soldiers 
who  recovered  their  presence  of  mind  in  the  panic 
of  the  attack,  sprang  forward  to  take  up  the  loaded 
muskets  of  the  dead  men — but  before  they  could 
use  the  arms  Jasper  and  Newton  felled  them  to  the 
ground  with  their  clubbed  muskets,  and  seizing  the 
loaded  ones  themselves,  sprung  to  the  place  where 
the  other  four  guns  stood  and  summoned  the  other 
soldiers  to  surrender.  They  instantly  complied — 
no  more  blood  was  shed,  and  Jasper  and  Newton 
wrenching  the  handcuffs  from  the  prisoners'  hands, 
furnished  them  each  with  a  loaded  musket,  and  six 
of  the  ten  men  who  had  formed  the  prisoners'  guard 
were  marched  away  to  the  American  camp  as  pri 
soners,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  American 
army,  and  no  less  to  their  own  surprise.  The 
woman  whose  husband  had  been  thus  snatched 
from  death,  was  no  less  frantic  in  her  joy  than  she 
had  been  in  her  sorrow. 

This  truly  wonderful  adventure  has  made  Jasper 
and  Newton's  names  famous  for  ever.  It  is  so  sur- 
prising that,  without  weighing  all  the  circumstances, 
it  would  seem  incredible.  In  the  first  place,  we 
must  recollect  that  the  two  friends  had  undertaken 


48  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

a  deed  so  desperate  that  they  moved  Avith  the  sud- 
denness and  boldness  of  giants.  With  them  it  was 
"do  or  die,"  and  there  was  no  time  for  thought  or 
hesitation.  The  soldiers,  as  we  have  said,  dreamed 
of  no  attack  so  near  the  city  of  Savannah,  which 
was  held  by  the  British.  The  suddenness  of  the 
surprise  threw  them  into  confusion,  and  its  boldness 
made  them  think,  no  doubt  for  a  moment,  that  a 
large  party  had  surrounded  them.  They  probably 
had  no  time  to  observe  that  only  two  men  had 
attacked  them,  until  it  was  too  late  to  remedy  the 
mistake. 

The  American  arms  were  not  very  successful  at 
this  period  of  the  war  in  the  South,  though  the 
bravery  of  the  patriotic  soldiers,  and  their  spirited 
resistance  to  a  much  superior  force  are  deserving  of 
high  credit,  as  they  accomplished  much  real,  if  not 
brilliant  service.  The  British,  having  taken  Sa- 
vannah, and  overrun  Georgia,  penetrated  as  far  as 
Beaufort,  where  the  American  troops,  under  Col. 
Moultrie,  checked  his  advance.  The  result  was  a 
spirited  battle,  without  positive  advantage  to  either 
party.  The  British  General,  Prevost,  intended  to 
seize  Charleston  by  a  coup  de  main,  but  Moultrie 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  place  before  him,  and 
placed  it  in  as  good  a  state  of  defence  as  the  few 
hours  he  was  in  advance  would  permit.    The  British 


vi?-'T-^M^^c:^^?^- 


ER1TI&II  WARFARE.    Page  48. 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  49 

advance  was  received  with  a  volley  from  the  Ame- 
rican lines ;  and  Prevost,  after  summoning  the  place 
to  surrender,  and  being  answered  with  a  defiance, 
withdrew  to  the  neighbouring  islands,  and  thence 
to  Beaufort  and  Savannah,  where  they  made  a 
stand.  On  the  islands  the  British  were  vigorously 
and  gallantly  attacked,  and  their  retreat  was,  if  not 
absolutely  forced,  at  least  rendered  expedient. 

In  September,  1779,  the  French  Admiral  ap- 
peared off  Savannah,  and  the  American  forces 
were  concentrated,  under  General  Lincoln,  for  an 
attack  on  that  city,  to  be  made  in  conjunction  with 
the  French  fleet  and  soldiers.  But  Count  D'Es- 
taing  made  this  enterprise  abortive,  by  a  singular 
error  of  judgment.  After  summoning  Savannah  to 
surrender,  he  allowed  the  commander  twenty-four 
hours  in  which  to  consider  of  his  answer.  To  use 
the  language  of  General  Horry,  "  instead  of  thinking, 
like  simpletons,  they  fell  to  entrenching  like  brave 
soldiers,"  and,  of  course,  the  next  day  the  answer 
returned  by  General  Prevost  was,  that  he  had  deter- 
mined to  defend  the  city. 

The  Americans,  and  particularly  those  accus- 
tomed, like  Marion,  to  the  prompt  movements  of 
irregular  warfare,  considered  these  proceedings  on 
the  part  of  the  formal,  and,  in  this  instance,  foolish 
Count  D'Estaing,  as  perfect  madness.     Marion  is 

D 


50 


LIFE    OF    MARION. 


represented  to  have  been  so  provoked,  that  his 
friends  feared  he  would  even  have  set  discipline  at 
defiance,  and  "broken  out"  upon  Gen.  Lincoln 
Usually  a  man  of  few  words,  and  not  in  the  habit 
of  venting  his  feelings  aloud,  he  exclaimed,  "  Who 
ever  heard  of  anything  like  this  before !  First 
allow  an  enemy  to  entrench,  and  then  fight  him ! 
See  the  destruction  brought  upon  the  British  at 
Bunker's  Hill — yet  our  troops  there  were  only 
militia; — raw,  half-armed  clodhoppers — and  not  a 
mortar  or  carronade — not  even  a  swivel — only  their 
ducking  guns !  What,  then,  are  we  to  expect  from 
regulars,  completely  armed,  with  a  choice  train  of 
artillery,  and  covered  with  a  breastwork !" 

In  this  instance,  as  in  many  others  where  the 
opinions  of  Americans  were  overruled  by  foreign 
allies,  the  result  justified  the  anticipations  of  the 
American  officers  and  soldiers.  The  French  com- 
mander was  ambitious  of  the  eclat  of  a  real  and 
formal  siege,  and  seems,  if  contemporary  accounts 
be  true,  to  have  desired  that  the  enemy  should  have 
all  the  advantage  of  position  which  would  confei 
consequence  upon  a  victory  which  he  felt  confident 
of  winning.  After  several  days  of  noisy  but  inef- 
fectual bombardment,  during  die  whole  of  which 
time  we  may  presume  the  British  were  strengthen- 
ing their  position,  an  assault  was  determined  upon. 


DEATH  OF  COUNT  PULASKI.     Page  51. 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  51 

This  measure,  taken  at  the  first,  would  have  carried 
the  city — but  served,  when  tardily  resorted  to,  only 
to  exhibit  the  gallantry  of  Americans  and  French 
in  the  frightful  loss  of  eleven  hundred  men.  The 
repulse  was  effectual  and  decisive.  The  French 
allies  withdrew  to  their  ships,  and  shortly  after  left 
the  coast,  as  the  season  when  it  was  perilous  for 
ships  to  remain  was  at  hand ;  the  action  having 
taken  place  on  the  9th  of  October. 

The  2d  Carolina  regiment  (Marion's)  particularly 
distinguished  itself  by  bravery  and  by  loss  of  men. 
Among  those  who  fell  was  the  gallant  Serjeant 
v  Jasper.  The  Americans,  headed  by  Col.  Laurens — 
more  successful  than  the  French  —  planted  the 
colours  of  the  2d  regiment  on  the  enemy's  works; 
but  this  success  was  the  occasion  of  their  principal 
loss,  for  in  endeavouring,  after  the  retreat  was 
sounded,  to  secure  the  colours  of  the  regiment,  the 
greatest  slaughter  took  place.  Serjeant  Jasper 
received  his  mortal  wound  in  the  defence  of  the 
standard  ;  and  Serjeant  Bush,  who  shared  the  trust 
with  him,  was  killed  upon  the  spot.  In  this  en- 
gagement also,  fell  Count  Pulaski ;  and  several  men 
of  note  in  the  French  column.  D'Estaing,  who 
had  the  redeeming  quality  of  courage  with  his 
obstinacy,  performed  personal  prodigies  of  valour — 
but  these  could  offer  no  atonement  for  the  lives  which 


52  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

his  imprudence  had  sacrificed,  or  for  the  enduring 
disasters  which  this  defeat  entailed  upon  the  cause  of 
freedom  in  the  Southern  States,  and,  indeed,  upon  the 
whole  country ;  for  who  can  say  how  signal  would 
have  heen  the  effect  of  so  great  a  victory  as  that 
which  seemed  almost  sure,  when  the  French  rleei 
first  made  its  appearance  on  our  Southern  coast. 


LIFE    OF    MARION. 


53 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Withdi'll  al  of  the  French  Fleet  from  Savannah,  and  the  American 
Forces  from  Georgia — Preparations  for  the  Defence  of  Charleston- 
Marion  as  a  Militia  Commander — Accident  hy  which  he  was  Dis- 
abled— Fall  of  Charleston — Disingenuous  and  cruel  course  of  the 
British — Disregard  of  the  Terms  of  Capitulation — Melancholy  Story 
of  Colonel  Hayne. 

ART  ON  was  entirely  unharmed  in 
body  in  the  assault  upon  Savannah, 
though  in  mind  he  deeply  suffered, 
at  the  misfortune  which  had  befallen 
the  cause  in  which  he  was  enlisted, 
and  at  the  loss  of  the  brave  fellows  who  had 
been  his  comrades  in  arms.  And  yet,  to 
»  this  defeat  he  owes  that  romantic  glory 
which  has  identified  his  name  for  ever  with  the 
chivalry  of  the  Revolution.  The  withdrawal  of  the 
American  army,  and  the  almost  complete  surrender 
of  his  native  State  to  the  enemy,  opened  to  him  the 
field  in  which  he  won  his  brightest  laurels.  For  a 
long  time  the  rallying  point  of  the  few  faithful  and 
bold,  he  kept  alive  the  fire  of  resistance;  and  the 
"  rebellion,"  as    he  British  termed  it,  may  be  said 


54  LIFE     OF    MARIOK. 

to  have  been  almost  individualized  in  him.  Daring 
m  courage,  deep  in  stratagem,  wily  in  approach, 
and  an  adept  in  concealment,  his  enterprises  were 
seldom  unsuccessful.  Amid  all  the  bustle  and  stir 
of  his  adventures — all  their  temptation  to  sanguinary 
revenge,  and  all  the  provocation  to  retaliating  bar- 
barity upon  the  British  and  their  Tory  allies — it  is 
above  all  else  delightful  to  find  that  he  was  not  only 
humane  himself,  and  as  far  as  possible  sparing  of 
blood  and  careful  to  avoid  wanton  destruction,  but 
his  influence  over  his  followers  maintained  to  a 
striking  degree  the  better  features  of  partisan  war- 
fare, without  its  barbarities.  To  this  portion  of  his 
life  we  are  soon  to  introduce  the  reader. 

In  January,  the  greater  part  of  the  American 
troops  were  withdrawn  to  Charleston,  a  place  which 
it  was  considered  of  great  consequence  to  preserve 
from  the  enemy.  As  it  was  now  seriously  threat- 
ened with  attack,  a  camp  was  established  at  Bacon's 
Bridge,  on  Ashley  River,  for  the  reception  of  the 
militia,  who  had  been  summoned  for  the  defence  of 
the  capital  of  the  State.  Hither  Marion  was  de- 
spatched to  drill  and  discipline  these  new  recruits ; 
for  in  this  description  of  service  he  was  unexcelled. 
Be  could  enter  into  their  feelings,  and  appreciate 
their  conduct ;  and,  while  he  did  not  exact  impossi- 
bilities of  them,  he  led  them  to  perform  feats  which 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  55 

at  this  day,  seem  almost  incredible.  He  knew, 
understood  and  reconciled  himself  to  the  difference 
oetween  citizen  volunteers  and  regularly  trained 
soldiers;  and  was  celebrated  for  what  was  called 
his  " patience  with  the  militia."  In  other  words,  he 
treated  them  as  men ;  while  it  is  generally  the  case 
with  military  officers  that  they  regard  the  militia 
with  contempt. 

It  is  related  by  Major  Horry,  that  when,  at  one 
time,  he  complained  of  his  men,  Marion  answered 
with  a  smile  :  "  Pshaw  !  It  is  because  you  do  not 
understand  the  management  of  them.  You  com- 
mand militia;  it  will  not  do  to  expect  too  much 
from  that  sort  of  soldiers.  If,  on  turning  out  against 
the  enemy,  you  find  your  men  in  high  spirits,  with 
burning  eyes  all  kindling  round  you,  that's  your 
time !  Then,  in  close  columns,  with  sounding 
bugles,  and  shining  swords,  dash  on,  and  I  '11  war- 
rant your  men  will  follow  you,  eager  as  lions' 
whelps.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  they  get  dis- 
mayed, and  begin  to  run,  you  are  not  to  fly  in  a 
passion  with  them,  and  show  yourself  as  mad  as 
they  are  cowardly.  No,  you  must  learn  to  run,  as 
fast  as  they  and  faster  too,  that  you  may  get  into 
the  front  and  encourage  them  to  rally." 

Such  was  the  spirit  which  Marion  carried  into 
the  training  of  his  militia;  srch  the  mode  of  man 


56  LIFE     OF    MARION, 

agement  by  which  he  made  them  invincible.  He 
reasoned  correctly  that  the  same  details  of  duty 
were  not  to  be  expected  from  them  as  from  regular 
troops,  or  the  same  steadiness  at  all  times  which 
may  be  expected  from  veterans.  He  enjoyed  fully 
their  confidence — shared  in  all  their  privations,  and 
braved  more  than  his  share  of  their  dangers. 

When  active  services  were  needed  for  the  defence 
of  Charleston,  Marion  marched  in  with  his  troops. 
In  this  post  of  danger  and  honour,  however,  acci- 
dent deprived  him  of  the  opportunity  of  distin- 
guishing himself;  and  the  same  accident  undoubt- 
edly saved  his  services  to  his  country  for  the  time 
when  they  were  most  needed,  and  most  effective. — 
The  wealthy  citizens  of  Charleston,  with  Southern 
cordiality,  pressed  numerous  civilities  upon  the 
American  officers.  Marion  was  dining  with  a  party 
of  friends,  when  the  host,  in  a  fashion  of  showing 
his  hospitality  then  common,  now  obsolete  or  fast 
becoming  so,  turned  a  key  upon  his  guests.  This 
was  to  force  them  to  spare  neither  his  own  wine  nor 
their  own  heads.  Marion,  always  temperate,  was 
nc-t  disposed  to  submit  to  such  conditions;  nor,  on 
the  other  hand,  could  he  offer  rudeness  to  a  man 
whose  politeness,  however  irksome,  was  well- 
intended,  and  borne  out  by  the  tyrant  custom.  He 
hud,  however,  as  little  desire  to  witness  the  orgies 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  57 

of  others  as  to  partake  himself;  and,  in  making-  his 
escape  at  a  window,  effected  it  at  the  cost  of  a 
broken  ancle.  The  apartment  was  on  the  seer  rid 
story,  and  the  injury  so  severe  that  our  hero  was 
for  a  long  time  not  only  unfitted  for  the  duties  of 
war,  but  incapacitated  for  any  bodily  exercise.  We 
may  readily  conceive  how  much  a  mind  so  sensitive 
as  his  would  be  afflicted  by  an  accident  which  the 
unfriendly  could  so  readily  misrepresent.  Nor 
would  his  repugnance  against  partaking  of  the  beve- 
rage so  readily  abused  be  at  all  diminished  by  a 
calamity  in  which  he  was  made  an  innocent  suf- 
ferer. 

Marion  returned  to  his  residence  in  St.  John's 
Parish  ;  General  Lincoln  having  issued  an  order  for 
the  retirement  from  the  city  of  all  supernumerary 
officers,  and  all  officers  unfit  for  duty.  The  defence 
of  Charleston  was,  for  six  weeks,  most  manfully 
maintained ;  and  the  city  fell,  at  last,  rather  by  the 
exhaustion  of  provisions  and  military  stores,  than 
by  the  arms  of  the  enemy. 

The  darkest  page  in  the  whole  history  of  British 
arms  in  America,  is  that  which  records  the  policy 
of  the  English  commanders,  after  the  fall  of  Charles- 
ton. So  dispiriting  was  this  event  to  the  Americans, 
that  the  whole  State  of  South  Carolina  may  be  said 
to  have  resigned  itself  at  once:  and  almost  without 


58  LIFE    OF     MARION. 

a  pretence  at  resistance.  The  irresolute  and  vacil 
Jating,  considering  all  as  lost,  came  at  once  into  an 
adhesion  to  the  royal  cause.  The  Whigs,  everjT 
where  dispirited,  made  a  secret  of  their  preferences, 
or  feigned  submission;  while  the  Tories,  embold- 
ened by  the  turn  affairs  had  taken,  now  became 
openly  violent.  Private  animosities  were  gratified 
by  inviting  the  torch  and  bayonet  upon  fellow  citi- 
zens; and  the  sufferings  of  the  unhappy  country 
were  extreme.  But  the  very  barbarity  with  which 
the  loyalists  proceeded,  secured  their  final  over- 
throw. Mildness  and  conciliation  might  have  com- 
pleted the  victory  which  commenced  at  the  repulse 
at  Savannah,  and  seemed  only  sealed  by  the  fall  of 
Charleston.  Barbarity  and  rapine  exasperated  those 
whom  they  were  intended  to  break  and  humble ; 
and  the  madness  of  the  victors  awakened  patriotism 
in  hearts  which  had  else  hardly  felt  its  glow. 

Sir  Henry  Clinton  was,  after  the  fall  of  Charles- 
ton, succeeded  m  the  command  by  Earl  Cornwallis. 
Before  Sir  Henry  was  superseded  he  issued  a  pro- 
clamation, offering,  with  a  few  exceptions,  pardon 
to  the  inhabitants  for  their  past  "  treasonable 
(  ffences,"  and  holding  out  the  fair  promise  of  "  rein- 
statement in  all  their  rights  and  immunities."  Nay, 
more  was  promised  than  they  had  before  enjoyed ; 
for  while  the  ri^ht  to  tax  the  colonies  without  thei/ 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  59 

consent  was  the  main  point  in  dispute  when  the 
war  commenced,  Sir  Henry's  treacherous  procla- 
mation waived  even  this,  and  promised  exemption 
from  taxation,  except  by  their  own  legislatures. 

The  timid,  the  time-serving-  and  the  irresolute 
seized  upon  these  admissions :  in  all  but  the  excep 
ticn  of  certain  persons  from  pardon,  the  proclama- 
tion seemed,  to  some,  rather  the  concessions  of  the 
vanquished  than  the  magnanimity  of  the  victors. 
All  hoped  for  security  and  peace — at  least  from  their 
Tory  neighbours — and  many  looked  at  the  British 
power  rather  as  an  armed  mediator  between  con- 
tending factions,  than  as  a  conquering  foreign  foe. 
Declarations  of  allegiance  to  the  crown  were  signed 
by  many,  including  some  of  the  most  active  Whigs 
in  the  colony;  and,  under  protection,  these  persons 
returned  to  their  plantations.  Others  were  dis- 
missed on  their  parole,  as  prisoners  of  war.  The 
hope  of  escaping  further  bloodshed,  and  the  belief 
that  they  should  not  be  required  to  mingle  again  in 
the  strife,  seduced  many  into  the  signature  of  the 
declaration.  They  saw  no  hope  in  fighting  for 
their  country ;  and  trusted  to  the  promise,  implied. 
and  universally  understood,  if  not  distinctly  ex- 
pressed, that  they  would  not  be  required  to  take  up 
arms  against  her.  The  Tories  resorted  to  the  arti- 
fice of  circulating  the  rumour  that  Cor.gress    had 


60  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

decided  no  longer  to  contend  for  the  States  of  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia,  but  purposed  to  resign  them 
to  the  British  rule.  All  these  causes,  operating 
with  the  weariness  and  disgust  of  war,  and  the 
desire  for  peace  to  which  the  disasters  and  troubles 
of  the  time  gave  rise,  operated  to  produce  a  mo- 
mentary moral  conquest  and  disarming  of  the 
patriots. 

But  the  dream  of  peace  was  of  short  duration. 
The  most  charitable  explanation  of  the  events  that 
followed  is,  that  Cornwallis  disapproved  of  the 
policy  which  Sir  Henry  Clinton  had  indicated,  and 
saw,  or  imagined  that  he  saw  a  necessity  for  chang- 
ing it.  There  are  those,  however,  who  deem  the 
conduct  of  the  conquerors  to  have  been  treacherous 
and  deceitful  from  the  beginning:,  and  who  maintain 
that  the  first  proclamation  was  conceived  in  trea- 
chery. However  that  may  have  been,  there  is  suffi- 
cient of  guilt  in  the  non-fulfilment  of  promises 
honestly  made — sufficient  of  treachery  in  wresting 
words  from  their  meaning,  in  which  the  unsuspect- 
ing Carolinians  had  trusted,  and  sufficient  of  cruelty 
in  the  barbarous  and  mocking  murders  and  burn- 
ings which  marked  the  course  of  Earl  Cornwall s, 
and  the  subordinates  who  acted  in  his  spirit,  and 
fulfilled  his  instructions. 

A  month  had   not  passed  from  the  date  of  Sii 


LIFE     OF    MARION.  G 1 

Henry's  proclamation,  when  Cornwallis  issued  an- 
other, which  rendered  the  first  a  nullity.  Nay, 
worse  than  that — -it  closed  the  door  of  escape  against 
those  who  had  been  beguiled  into  security  b}r  thft 
first  document,  and  drew  tight  about  them  the 
meshes  of  a  snare,  in  which  many  fell  by  an  igno- 
minious death.  The  fate  of  the  gallant  and  unfor- 
tunate Hayne  is  an  episode  belonging  to  this  part 
of  our  history,  sufficiently  moving  and  awful  in  its 
details  to  furnish  reason  for  the  bitter  hate  which 
more  than  one  generation  cherished  against  Great 
Britain.  Such  are  the  lasting  horrors  of  war. 
Conducted  on  the  most  chivalrous  and  generous 
principles,  it  leaves  sufficient  rancour  behind ;  but 
when  perfidy,  mock-trials,  and  the  gibbet  or  the 
tree,  come  in  as  counsellors  and  aids,  the  hatred 
which  the  most  favourable  peace  leaves  behind  it  is 
neither  unnatural  nor  surprising,  however  intense 
and  lasting. 

Having  alluded  to  the  melancholy  story  of  Colo- 
nel Hayne,  we  may  here  diverge  a  little  from  the 
strict  order  of  our  narrative  to  relate  it.  He  was 
one  of  the  defenders  of  Charleston,  and  when  that 
city  fell  returned  to  his  plantation.  The  terms  of 
the  capitulation  secured,  or  professed  to  secure,  the 
persons  and  property  of  the  Americans,  restricting 
them,  of  course,  from   bearing   arms   against   the 


0'2  LIFE    OP    MARION. 

British.  There  were  early  indications  that  the 
terms  of  the  capitulation  were  not  to  be  kept,  and 
Colonel,  then  Captain  Hayne,  was  required  by  the 
commander  of  the  British  forces  stationed  near  him, 
either  to  take  up  arms  as  a  British  subject,  or  to 
report  himself  at  Charleston,  as  a  prisoner  of  war. 
He  refused  to  do  either,  claiming  that  under  the 
capitulation,  and  the  sanctity  of  his  parole,  which 
he  had  not  violated,  he  had  a  right  to  remain  where 
he  was.  The  illness  of  his  family,  with  that  ter- 
rible malady  the  small-pox,  added  to  his  affliction 
and  perplexity. 

Harassed  by  the  importunities  of  his  enemies, 
he  was  at  length  persuaded  to  repair  to  Charleston ; 
but  he  bore  with  him  a  written  pledge  from  the 
British  officer  in  his  neighbourhood,  that  he  should 
immediately  be  permitted  to  return  to  his  family,  on 
his  engaging  to  demean  himself  as  a  British  subject, 
while  a  British  army  covered  the  country.  With 
this  guarantee,  he  trusted  only  to  be  required  to  give 
the  assurance  and  return.  But  he  was  told  that  he 
must  either  swear  allegiance  to  the  British  govern- 
ment,  or  go  into  close  imprisonment.  With  a  dying 
wife  and  child  at  home,  the  father  gave  way ;  but 
in  the  oath  of  allegiance  he  protested  agai  ast  the 
clause  which  required  him  "  with  his  arms  to  sup 
port  the  British  government." 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  63 

His  scruples  upon  this  point  were  met  by  the 
declaration  that  it  never  would  be  required  of  him 
to  take  up  arms  against  his  country ;  and  with  this 
understanding  he  subscribed  the  form,  and  hastened 
back  to  his  plantation ;  but  it  was  only  to  receive 
the  expiring  sigh  of  his  wife,  and  to  find  one  of  his 
children  no  more.  After  this  he  resided  privately 
upon  his  estate,  taking  no  part  in  passing  events. 
The  next  movement,  unexpected  and  more  oppres- 
sive than  all  the  others,  was  a  command  from  the 
British  authorities  that  he  should  repair  at  once  to 
the  British  standard,  and  take  arms  for  the  crown. 
This  violation  of  the  agreement  on  the  part  of  the 
royalists  he  regarded  as  fully  absolving  him ;  and 
he  hastened  at  once  to  the  American  camp,  and  bore 
arms  in  the  service  of  his  country. 

He  was  made  a  prisoner  of  war  by  the  British, 
and  removed  to  Charleston.  A  court  of  inquiry 
was  summoned,  by  which  he  was  condemned  to  be 
handed  "  for  having1  been  found  under  arms,  and 
employed  in  raising  a  regiment  to  oppose  the  British 
government,  though  he  had  become  a  subject,  and 
accepted  the  protection  of  that  government." 

This  sentence  was  accordingly  carried  into  e  te- 
cution,  on  the  4th  of  August,  1781.  Every  effort 
was  made  to  procure  a  review  or  abrogation  of  the 
sentence.     Lord   Rawdon     then    in   command   of 


64  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

Charleston,  was  addressed  in  every  way.  People 
of  all  classes,  Loyalists  as  well  as  Whigs,  interceded 
to  no  purpose.  Even  the  children  of  the  prisoner, 
habited  in  d^ep  mourning,  were  introduced  into  the 
military  despot's  presence,  and  implored  him  for  the 
ife  of  their  father.  Lord  Rawdon  was  inexorable. 
The  prisoner  took  no  part  in  these  proceedings,  bui 
during  his  imprisonment,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
execution,  behaved  with  a  firmness  which  has  made 
his  melancholy  and  ignominious  death  one  of  the 
heroic  passages  of  the  revolution. 

The  close  of  the  tragedy,  the  attentive  reader  has 
no  doubt  perceived,  is  in  advance  of  our  narrative. 
What  was  done  to  Colonel  Hayne  was,  however, 
but  a  parallel  to  what  befel  others,  less  prominent 
and  distinguished,  in  a  more  summary  and  sudden 
manner.  The  articles  of  capitulation,  under  which 
Charleston  surrendered,  were  treated  as  if  they 
never  had  been  written.  The  property  of  citizens 
was  seized,  and  the  prisoners  who  had  surrendered 
were  crowded  into  prison-ships,  and  released  only 
on  condition  of  enlisting,  to  serve  in  the  British 
army  in  other  countries.  Citizens  who  were  sus- 
pected, by  their  influence  or  example,  of  aiding  the 
endurance  of  the  prisoners,  were  dragged  from 
their  houses  without  warning,  and  forced  to  share 
*he  horrors  of  the  prison-ships.     The  proclamation 


LIFE     OP     MARION,  65 

of  Cornwallis,  to  which  wo  have  before  referred 
applied  to  all  the  colonists  the  same  tortuous  policy 
which  we  have  detailed  in  the  case  of  Colonel 
Hayne.  They  were  told  that  they  could  only  enjoy 
the  privileges  which  the  first  proclamation  had  held 
out,  by  returning  to  full  allegiance  as  British  sub- 
jects, and  taking  up  arms  against  their  countrymen. 
So  gross  an  act  of  insincerity  opened  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  pe  )ple,  and  failed  utterly  in  the  purpose 
which  it  was  intended  to  serve. 


60 


LIFE     OF     MARION 


CHAPTER  V, 

Itfcnements  and  Character  of  Colonel  Tarleton — Origin  of  the  Phrasa 
"  Tarleton's  Quarters" — Capture  or  Retreat  of  distinguished  Caroli- 
nians—  Eager  Vindictiveness  of  the  Tories  —  Hunting  of  Marion 
through  the  Swamps — He  escapes  to  North  Carolina — Meets  his  old 
Friend  Horry  —  Their  Poverty  —  The  Unfriendliness  of  their  Coun- 
trymen—  National  Financial  Difficulties  —  Adventure  at  an  Inn — 
American  Women  —  Arrival  of  General  Gates. 


|HILE  the  state  of  things  which  we 
have  described  in  the  previous  chap- 
ter exisu%J  in  Charleston,  in  the 
country  amgs  were  even  worse. 
The  small  bodies  of  troops  which 
the  Americans  strove  to  drill  and  organize, 
were  attacked  by  the  British  and  loyalists, 
'4$  principally  by  detachments  under  command 
of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Tarleton,  who  was  one  of  the 
most  active  and  energetic,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
barbarous  and  unscrupulous  officers  in  the  British 
service.  So  cruel  was  he  in  his  butcheries  that  his 
name  was  a  terror  and  a  synonyme  with  barbarity. 
No  small  part  of  his  s accesses  in  his  predatory 
excursions  is  perhaps  to  be  attributed  to  the  fright 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  67 

which  his  evil  fame  inspired.  "  Tarleton"  was  not 
merely  a  word  to  frighten  women  and  children,  but 
men  were  not  unreasonably  alarmed  at  his  approach ; 
and  "  Tarle ton's  Quarters"  passed  into  a  by-word 
to  signify  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  the  defeated. 
The  occurrence  which  gave  occasion  to  such  a 
phrase  happened  just  after  the  fall  of  Charleston, 
when  Colonel  Beaufort  was  advancing  to  the  relief 
of  that  city,  from  Virginia,  with  four  hundred  men, 
being  yet  unadvised  of  its  surrender.  When  Beau- 
fort reached  Camden  he  heard  the  disastrous  intel- 
ligence, and  determined  upon  a  retreat.  Tarleton 
with  seven  hundred  men  was  despatched  to  seek 
him,  and  overtook  him  near  the  Wexhaw  settle- 
ments, where  he  summoned  him  to  surrender. 
Beaufort  hesitated,  not  preparing  for  flight,  for  sur- 
render, or  for  an  engagement.  His  patriotism 
halted  at  the  two  first  courses,  and  his  prudence 
suggested  the  useless  valour  of  the  last.  While  de- 
bating  with  himself,  and  consulting  with  his  officers, 
Tarleton  suddenly  and  impetuously  attacked  him. 
Unprepared  either  to  fight  or  to  retreat,  the  Ameri- 
cans made  a  feeble  and  indecisive  show  of  resist- 
ance, and  then  grounded  their  arms.  The  flag  of 
truce  was  disregarded ;  the  bearer  of  it  was  cut 
down  by  Tarleton  himself,  and  the  British  rushed 
vith  fixed  bayonets  upon  the  Americans,  who  fan- 


t>8  LIFE    OF     MARION. 

cied  that  the  battle  was  over.  But  some  of  them, 
thus  attacked,  seized  their  grounded  arms,  deter- 
mined, since  their  application  was  disregarded,  to 
die  like  men.  This  renewal  of  firing  brought  on  a 
terrible  butchery  by  the  British,  who  gave  no  quar- 
ter; and  "  Tarleton's  Quarters"  was  afterward  the 
battle-cry  in  many  a  bloody  scene.  It  is  difficult 
to  define  the  precise  degree  of  criminality  which 
attaches  to  the  British  commander  in  this  affair ;  or 
to  say  how  far  Beaufort's  mismanagement  led  to  the 
fatal  result ;  but  it  is  certain  that  by  no  one  less 
sanguinary  and  impetuous  than  Tarleton  would  his 
mistake,  if  mistake  it  was,  have  been  committed. 

The  British  and  loyalists  followed  up  their 
advantages  whenever  any  point  of  attack  presented 
itself,  till  scarce  a  vestige  of  opposition  remained. 
The  most  distinguished  patriots  who  had  escaped, 
did  so  by  abandoning  the  State ;  for  to  have  been 
known  as  a  patriot  left  no  chance  or  hope  of  secu- 
rity. In  the  absence  of  proprietors,  their  property 
was  destroyed;  and  the  more  humble  citizens,  who 
might  have  escaped  from  their  enemies  by  the  mere 
circumstance  of  their  obscurity,  were  pointed  out 
by  partisan  hate,  and  their  houses  fired,  and  pos- 
sessions ravaged.  Many  concealed  their  sentiments 
or  held  their  peace,  not  daring  openly  to  acknow- 
ledge their  friendship  for  their  country. 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  69 

During  this  period,  where  was  Marion?  His 
name  was  too  well  known,  and  the  character  of  his 
services  to  his  country  was  too  well  and  too  widely 
celebrated  to  make  it  possible  that  he  should  rest  in 
peace.  His  disabled  condition  prevented  his  remov- 
ing: from  the  State,  and  for  several  months  he  was 
hunted  from  place  to  place,  from  thicket  to  thicket, 
and  from  swamp  to  swamp,  with  eager  animosity. 
But  his  gallant  services  had  raised  him  troops  of 
friends  among  those  who  loved  their  country;  and 
of  personal  friends  who  loved  him  for  himself  alone, 
he  had  no  lack.  These  were  ever  upon  the  alert. 
They  watched  every  movement  of  the  enemy;  and 
whenever  danger  approached,  he  was  hurried  to  a 
new  place  of  concealment.  Now  carried  at  mid- 
night from  his  bed  to  the  woods — now  hurried  from 
one  hiding-place  amid  the  rocks  and  swamps  to 
another ;  escaping  many  times  by  a  very  hair's- 
breadth,  he  spent  several  months  in  what  would 
appear  the  very  worst  treatment  to  which  a  man 
with  a  shattered  limb  could  have  been  subjected. 
T;  have  endured  all  this,  even  with  a  sound  body, 
would  seem  enough  to  have  broken  and  killed  an 
ordinary  man.  Marion's  iron  constitution,  inured, 
as  we  have  seen,  to  hardship  and  suffering  in  his 
youth,  and  fortified  by  a  life  of  temperance,  enabled 
him  to  survive  it  all;  and  the  fidelity  of  his  ser 


70  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

vants,  and  of  his  friends  among  the  most  humble 
of  his  countrymen,  was  a  solace  which,  supporting 
his  great  mind,  gave  strength  to  his  feeble  body. 

As  soon  as  he  could  mount  a  horse  with  the 
assistance  of  his  servant,  he  prepared  for  active  ser- 
vice again.  Had  he  been  disposed  to  relax  in  his 
warfare  for  liberty,  the  persecution  he  had  under- 
gone would  have  goaded  him,  as  it  did  many  others, 
to  desperate  resistance.  Major  Horry,  who  seems 
to  have  known  nothing  of  Marion's  whereabout 
during  the  concealment  we  have  spoken  of,  and 
who,  like  Marion,  had  determined  to  go  North  in 
search  of  service,  was  fortunate  enough  upon  his 
way  to  overtake  Marion.  The  joy  of  the  two 
friends  at  meeting  thus  was  very  great,  though  Ma- 
jor Horry,  by  his  own  admission,  despaired  of  the 
ultimate  success  of  the  cause  in  which  they  had 
embarked  their  all.  As  to  their  condition,  it  was 
not  very  promising  certainly.  Marion's  ancle  was 
still  so  lame  that  he  required  the  assistance  of  his 
servant  to  mount  and  dismount.  "  But,"  says 
Horry,  "  I  was  more  sensible  than  ever  what  a 
divine  thing  friendship  is.  Well  indeed  was  it  for 
us  that  our  hearts  were  so  rich  in  friendship,  for  our 
pockets  were  as  bare  of  gold  and  silver  as  if  there 
were  no  such  metals  on  earth.  And,  but  for  carry- 
ing a  knife,  or  a  horse-fleam,  or  a  gun-flint,  we  had 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  71 

no  more  use  for  a  pocket  than  a  Highlander  has  for 
a  knee-buckle.  As  to  hard  money,  we  had  not  seen 
a  dollar  for  years;  and  of  old  continental,  bad  as  it 
was,  we  received  but  little,  and  that  was  gone  like 
a  flash,  as  the  reader  may  well  suppose,  when  he 
comes  to  learn  that  a  bottle  of  rum  -would  sweep 
fifty  dollars." 

The  "  old  continental"  which  Major,  now  Colonel 
Horry,  speaks  of,  was  paper  money,  issued  on  the 
credit  of  the  States  which  were  resisting  Great 
Britain.  When  the  prospect  for  final  success 
seemed  so  little,  it  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  that  it 
depreciated  in  value,  particularly  among  such 
people  as  the  Colonel  goes  on  to  describe :  "  Here 
we  were,  two  continental  colonels  of  us,  just  started 
on  a  journey  of  several  hundred  miles,  without  a 
penny  in  pocket.  But  though  poor  in  gold,  we 
were  rich  in  faith.  Burning  patriots  ourselves,  we 
had  counted  on  it  as  a  certainty,  that  everybody  we 
should  meet  out  of  the  reach  of  the  British  were  as 
fiery  as  we ;  and  that  the  first  sight  of  our  uniforms 
would  command  smiling  countenances  and  hot  sup- 
pers, downy  beds,  and,  in  short,  everything  that 
our  hearts  could  wish.  But  alas  and  alack,  the 
mistake !  For  instead  of  being  smiled  on  every- 
where along  the  road  as  the  champions  of  liberty, 
we  were  often  grinned  at  as  if  we  had  been  horse 


'2  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

thieves.  Instead  of  being  hailed  with  benedictions,, 
we  were  often  in  danger  from  the  brickbats ;  and 
in  lieu  of  hot  suppers  and  dinners,  we  were  actually 
on  the  point  of  starving,  both  we  and  our  horses ! 
For,  in  consequence  of  candidly  telling  the  publi 
cans  '  we  had  nothing  to  pay,'  they  as  candidly 
declared  '  they  had  nothing  to  give,'  and  that  '  those 
who  had  no  money  had  no  business  to  travel.'  " 

Such  were  the  disadvantages  under  which  Marion 
and  many  other  hardy  spirits  laboured ;  not  only 
against  the  declared  enemies  of  their  country,  but 
against  the  supineness  and  indifference  of  many 
of  their  countrymen.  Nor  were  individual  embar- 
rassments the  only  bar  to  a  spirited  and  successful 
prosecution  of  the  war.  The  Congress,  and  all  the 
departments  of  government,  laboured  under  diffi- 
culties so  discouraging,  that  nothing  but  the  hand 
of  Him  who  is  king  of  kings  and  the  ruler  of  na- 
tions,  could  have  carried  the  colonies  through  so 
arduous  a  struggle.  It  is  well  for  our  young  read- 
ers, who  look  at  the  American  Revolution  only  as 
a  series  of  battles,  to  remember  that  there  were 
other  things  to  contend  with,  beside  those  which 
make  up  in  history  the  glory  of  warfare.  Men  had 
tiieir  private  feelings,  necessities,  and  selfishness — 
families  to  support  and  provide  for ;  and  that  under 
every  discouragement.     We  are  not,  therefore,  to 


LIFE    OF    MARION,  73 

wonder,  when  war  disarranged  all  the  usual  pursuits 
of  life,  and  made  even  the  bare  coarse  food  neces- 
sary for  its  maintenance  precarious,  that  self  some- 
times mastered  patriotism,  even  with  those  who 
were  friendly  to  the  objects  of  the  war.  Nor  are 
we  to  be  surprised  that  Marion  and  Horry  should 
encounter  an  innkeeper  who,  when  he  saw  their 
regimentals,  began  to  hem  and  haw,  and  tell  them  of 
"  a  mighty  fine  tavern  about  five  miles  farther  on." 
They  begged  him  to  recollect  that  it  was  a  dark 
and  stormy  night. 

"Oh,"  answered  the  publican,  "the  road  is 
mighty  plain,  you  can't  miss  your  way." 

"  But  consider,"  said  our  Colonels,  "  we  are 
strangers." 

"Oh,"  said  the  other,  "  I  never  liked  strangers  in 
all  my  life  !"  This  was  tolerably  plain,  but  a  sin- 
gular dislike  for  a  tavernkeeper.  The  travellers 
rejoined : 

"  But,  sir,  we  are  American  officers,  going  to  the 
North  for  men  to  fight  your  battles." 

"  Oh,  I  want  nobody  to  fight  my  battles.  King 
George  is  good  enough  for  me!" 

And  driven  away  they  would  have  been  if  the 
women  of  the  household  had  not  interposed,  and 
insisted   upon  their  being  received ;  and  not  only 


74  LIFE     OF    MiRION. 

so,  but  they  filled  their  portmanteaus  with  provision 
for  the  way.  And  this  reminds  us  to  say  that,  as 
Americans,  we  cannot  be  too  grateful  to  the  women 
who  lived  in  those  troublous  times.  Their  portion 
of  the  duties  of  that  eventful  period  was  not  in  the 
camp  and  in  the  field.  They  come  in  for  no  ade- 
quate share  of  the  praise  with  which  we  celebrate 
the  deeds  of  the  Revolution.  This  is  not  as  it 
should  be.  Their  services  were  no  less  important 
than  those  rendered  by  the  men ;  and  if  their  suf- 
ferings did  not  consist  in  the  blows  of  sabres  and 
gun-shot  wounds,  their  houses  destroyed;  their 
peace  marred  by  anxiety,  their  hearts  torn  by  the 
suffering  and  death  of  their  kindred  and  friends, 
their  patient  labour  through  all  this,  and  the  not 
unfrequent  voice  of  encouragement  which  they 
lifted,  and  that  too  in  the  darkest  hours : — surely 
these  considerations  entitle  the  Heroines  of  the 
Revolution  to  our  grateful  remembrance.  Without 
their  aid,  the  independence  of  our  country  could 
never  have  been  achieved. 

After  a  long  and  painful  journey,  relieved  by  the 
aid  of  occasional  Whig  hospitality  and  patriotism, 
our  heroes  arrived  at  Hillsborough,  North  Carolina, 
whore  they  heard  the  gratifying  intelligence  that 
an   army,  under  General  Gates,  was  marching  to 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  tO 

the  aid  of  their  native  State.  Full  of  joy  at  this 
news,  so  consonant  with  their  patriotic  wishes,  they 
hurried  forward  to  join  the  American  forces,  little 
dreaming  what  a  sad  reverse  awaited  them,  or  how 
soon  there  would  be  added  to  the  army  cut  to  pieces 
at  Savannah,  and  that  captured  at  Charleston,  the 
less  of  still  another. 


76 


LIFE     OF     MAR  I  O  N. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ftlaria  l's  Fortitude— Military  Character  of  Gates— His  Obstinacy,  and 
too  hasty  March — Poverty  of  the  Country— Detachment  of  Marion 
in  advance  —  Anecdote  of  Major  James  —  Destruction  of  the  Boats 
of  the  Planters  —  News  received  of  Gates's  Defeat  —  Death  of  De 
Kalb — Formation  of  Marion's  Brigade — Comwallis's  Order — Success 
of  Sumter — His  subsequent  Defeat. 


ORTITUDE  and  firm  hope,  without 
sanguine  expectation  of  miracles  or 
sudden  good  fortune,  were  Marion's 
characteristics.  Never  unduly  elated, 
or  rendered  incautious  by  success,  he  never 
permitted  himself  to  despair  of  the  cause 
in  which  he  had  embarked  life,  fortune,  and 
honour.  It  is  related  of  him  that,  during 
the  gloomy  period  which  we  have  just  been  describ- 
ing, he  had  words  of  faith  and  hope  for  his  friend 
Horry.  "  The  victory,"  he  said,  "  is  still  sure.  The 
enemy,  it  is  true,  have  the  game  in  their  hands,  and 
if  they  had  the  spirit  to  be  generous,  would  cer- 
tainly ruin  us.  But  they  have  no  idea  of  that — ■ 
and  will  treat  the  people  cruelly.  And  that  one 
thing  will  ruin  them,  and  save  America."     And,  in 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  77 

reference  to  the  cruelties  of  the  British  and  Tories, 
Weerns  mah.es  Marion  say  at  another  time:  "'Tis 
a  harsh  medicine,  hut  it  is  necessary.  Our  country 
is  like  a  man  who  has  swallowed  a  mortal  poison. 
Give  him  an  anodyne  to  keep  him  easy,  and  he's  a 
dead  man.  But  if  you  can  only  knock  him  about, 
he  is  safe.  Oar  people  have  been  lulled  with 
proclamations  and  protections,  but  that  is  over  now, 
and  they  are  opening  their  eyes."  Undoubtedly 
such  was  the  opinion  of  Marion,  and  other  discern- 
ing men. 

As  we  have  said,  great  hopes  were  entertained 
of  the  advance  of  assistance.  But  the  disastrous 
issue  of  General  Gates's  Southern  campaign  made 
matters  much  worse  than  they  were  before  his  arri- 
val. He  was  flushed  with  his  victory  over  Bur- 
goyne,  and,  unfortunately,  too  tenacious  of  his  own 
opinion,  and  of  his  military  education,  to  listen  to 
advice.  The  unfortunate  issue  of  the  battle  of 
Camden  was  made  the  subject  of  investigation 
before  a  court  of  inquiry.  The  verdict  reinstated 
General  G  ates  in  his  rank ;  and  we  must  receive  it, 
so  far  as  it  exonerates  him  from  unsoldierlike  con- 
duct. But  upon  the  imprudence  of  his  measures 
there  can  be  but  one  opinion ;  nor  can  there  be  a 
doubt  that  he  vastly  over-estimated  his  own  abilities, 
or  imagined  that  his  name  alone  would  spread  sucn 


7o  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

dismay  among  the  ranks  of  the  foe,  that  for  him  to 
advance  would  be  to  conquer.  His  prejudices,  as 
we  have  had  occasion  to  observe  of  other  regularly- 
trained  soldiers,  acquired  in  too  mechanical  a  school 
of  war,  unfitted  him  for  the  peculiar  warfare  of  the 
Southern  States,  and  prevented  him  from  seeing 
that  such  men  as  Marion  and  his  command  were 
precisely  the  most  effective,  and  their  policy  the 
most  efficient. 

Gates  was  partially  moved  by  the  advice  of  Ma- 
rion, seconded  by  that  of  Governor  Rutledge  and 
Baron  De  Kalb,  and,  in  consonance  with  their  opi 
nion,  moved  toward  the  heart  of  the  State.  It  was 
thus  intended  to  protect  the  Whigs,  and  to  give 
them  an  opportunity  to  rally  round  the  banner  of 
their  country;  to  prevent  their  being  cut  up  in 
detail,  and  to  relieve  them  from  the  merciless  scout- 
ing parties  of  the  loyalists.  But  this  measure,  taken 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  Southern  men,  should  have 

Do  7 

been  conducted  in  their  way.  The  army  should 
have  moved  slowly  and  cautiously,  gathering 
strength  as  it  advanced,  and  becoming  accustomed 
to  discipline,  and  nerved  to  the  conflict.  By  such 
a  course,  not  only  would  it  have  received  constant 
accessions,  but  the  new  men  would  have  assimilated 
with  the  old,  and  all  have  become  blended  together. 
While  De  Kalb  held  the  command,  previous  to 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  79 

the  arrival  of  General  Gates,  he  had  moved  on 
carefully,  and  with  a  due  regard  to  the  ease  and 
refreshment  of  his  men,  and  to  the  conciliation  of 
the  people  through  whose  lands  he  passed.  The 
march  of  a  large  body  of  men  must  be  a  heavy  tax 
upon  a  country;  and  at  this  season  of  the  year 
(early  in  August)  it  was  particularly  so,  as  the  old 
crops  were  exhausted,  and  the  new  not  harvested. 
De  Kalb  earnestly  advised  that  he  should  move  by 
the  more  circuitous  route,  through  a  rich  country, 
which  could  have  better  supported  the  troops. 
Gales  insisted  on  dashing  through  the  shortest  path ; 
and  the  sufferings  of  the  troops  are  strongly  but 
coarsely  described  by  Horry.  "  Gates  must  dash 
upon  his  prey ;  and  so,  for  a  near  cut,  take  us 
through  a  pine  barren,  sufficient  to  have  starved  a 
forlorn  hope  of  caterpillars.  What  had  we  to  ex- 
pect, in  such  a  miserable  country,  where  many  a 
family  goes  without  dinner,  unless  the  father  can 
knock  down  a  squirrel  in  the  woods,  or  his  pale, 
sickly  boy  picks  up  a  terrapin  in  the  swamps  ?  We 
did,  indeed,  sometimes  fall  in  with  a  little  corn ;  bul 
then  the  poor,  skinny,  sunburnt  women,  with  long, 
uncombed  tresses,  would  run  screaming  to  us,  with 
tears  in  their  eyes,  declaring  that  if  we  took  away 
their  corn,  they  and  their  children  must  perish. 
Such  times  I  never  before  saw,  and  I  pray  God  J 


80  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

may  never  see  nor  hear  of  again,  for  to  this  day  the 
bare  thought  of  it  depresses  my  spirits." 

But  as  Marion  escaped  the  mortification  of  being 
present  at  the  fall  of  Charleston,  so  was  he  also 
spared  that  of  being  in  the  army  of  Gates  at  his 
defeat.  The  reasons  of  his  leaving  Gates  are  in- 
volved in  some  uncertainty.  Some  authorities 
represent  that  it  was  the  inconvenience  of  his  posi- 
tion which  induced  him  to  take  advantage  of  the 
first  opening  that  presented  itself  for  independent 
service.  Perhaps  this  had  some  weight.  The  men 
who  had  volunteered  to  join  him  presented  little  in 
appearance  which  was  formidable,  certainly.  They 
are  described  as  not  exceeding  twenty,  men  and 
boys,  white  and  black,  all  mounted,  but  miserably 
equipped,  and  wearing,  in  their  small  leather  caps 
and  wretched  clothing,  an  appearance  so  burlesque 
that  it  was  with  much  difficulty  the  regular  soldiers 
could  be  restrained  from  making  Marion's  men  the 
subject  of  their  diversion.  But  unpromising  as 
was  this  little  band  in  appearance,  it  had  already 
performed  feats  of  valour  which  had  made  its  name 
famous ;  and  it  was  destined  to  accomplish  exploits 
which  have  handed  down  their  fame  as  the  romance 
of  the  Revolution. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  causes  which 
weighed  with  Marion — whether  he  saw  that  his  ser 


LI  FE    OF    MARION.  81 

vices  were  hot  likely  to  be  appreciated,  or  was  dis- 
inclined to  be  present  during  what  he  considered 
the  mistaken  policy  of  General  Gates ;  or  whether, 
as  was  probable,  the  service  of  his  country  was  the 
paramount  reason  with  him,  while  the  others  had 
also  their  weight,  we  cannot  fully  determine ;  but 
he  did  not  leave  without  a  motive  and  an  object. 
He  had  been  invited  by  the  people  of  Williamsburg 
to  put  himself  at  their  head ;  and  with  this  force 
he  proposed  to  watch  the  motions  of  the  enemy,  and 
furnish  intelligence.  General  Gates,  who  felt  so 
sure  of  defeating  Cornwallis  that  he  wished  to  take 
measures  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  fugitives,  also 
directed  him  to  destroy  all  the  rice-boats  of  the 
planters  on  the  Santee  River,  to  prevent  the  fugi- 
tives from  crossing  on  their  flight  to  Charleston. 

The  people  who  had  invited  Marion  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  volunteer  force  they  were  about  to 
raise,  resided  between  the  Santee  and  Pedee  Rivers. 
They  were  of  Irish  descent  principally,  and  their 
district  formed  part  of  the  country  in  which  Marion 
and  Horry  raised  their  first  recruits,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  war.  Of  course  the  celebrated 
partisan  ch  ef  was  already  well  known  among 
them;  and  his  knowledge  of  them,  also,  made  him 
aware  that  better  material  for  the  command  ho 
wished  to  raise  did  not  exist  in  the  State.     There 

F 


82  LIFE     OP    MARION. 

is  a  stirring  anecdote  connected  with  the  taking  up 
of  arms  in  Williamsburg.  The  people  had  before 
them  the  two  proclamations  of  which  we  have  pre- 
viously spoken.  Under  the  first  many  had  accepted 
protections,  or  promised  allegiance,  as  in  other  parts 
of  the  State.  When  the  second  appeared,  and  thev 
were  required  to  take  up  arms  against  their  coun- 
trymen, or,  rather,  when  they  understood  that  they 
might  be  so  called  upon,  it  gave  rise  to  a  great  deal 
of  discussion.  Meetings  were  held  ;  and  as  the 
two  proclamations  seemed  incapable  of  ■  reconcilia- 
tion with  each  other,  a  representative  was  chosen  to 
proceed  to  the  nearest  British  post,  and  seek  a  solu 
tion  of  the  riddle. 

The  person  deputed  on  this  mission  was  Major 
John  James ;  and  the  place  to  which  he  repaired 
was  Georgetown,  at  which  point  a  British  armed 
vessel  had  just  arrived,  freighted  with  proclama- 
tions, and  commanded  by  a  Captain  Ardeisoff — a 
gentleman  who,  when  he  left  Charleston,  little 
expected  to  be  knocked  down  to  posterity  in  the 
way  that  he  has  been.  Major  James,  who  had 
represented  his  district  in  the  colonial  legislature, 
and  held  other  posts  indicative  of  the  esteem  of  his 
rellow-citizens,  was  too  much  accustomed  to  respect 
*o  )e  prepared  for  the  haughty  reception  which 
Car  ain  Ardeisoff  gave  him.     When  James  opened 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  83 

his  business,  and  inquired  upon  what  terms  him- 
self and  friends  were  required  to  submit,  Ardeisofl 
testily  answered,  "  No  other  terms,  you  may  be 
sure,  sir,  than  unconditional  submission." 

"  Of  course,  then,'  said  the  other,  "we  may 
remain  at  home  in  peace  and  quiet." 

"  No,  sir !  you  have  forfeited  your  lives,  and  all 
deserve  to  be  hanged ;  and  his  majesty's  generous 
pardon  is  granted  only  on  condition  -of  jour  taking 
up  arms  in  his  cause." 

Major  James  made  a  spirited  reply,  and  other 
words  followed,  in  the  course  of  which  the  British 
officer  applied  the  term  "  rebels"  to  James  and  his 
friends,  with  a  low  and  profane  addition.  Major 
James,  losing  all  command  of  himself,  sprang  up, 
and  seizing  the  chair  upon  which  he  had  been  sit- 
ting, astonished  Captain  Ardeisoff  by  knocking  that 
worthy  down  with  it ;  then  hurrying  to  his  horse, 
was  out  of  the  reach  of  pursuit  before  it  could  be 
attempted.  What  report  such  a  messenger  carried 
back  to  his  constituents  may  readily  be  imagined; 
and  the  immediate  action  which  was  taken  upon  it, 
resulted  in  the  formation  of  Marion's  Brigade. 

Major  James  was  the  first  commander  ot  trie  four 
companies  which  were  raised  ;  and  he  instantly  set 
them  to  work.  After  some  small  but  successful 
skirmishes,  one  of  the  four  companies  was  sent  for- 


84  LIFE     OF    MARION, 

ward  to  Lynch's  Creek,  under  Colonel  McCottry, 
and  there  hearing  of  Colonel  Tarleton,  McCottry 
advanced  to  give  him  battle.  The  British  officer 
probably  from  hearing  exaggerated  reports  of 
McCottry's  strength,  retreated ;  and  thus  the  new 
soldiers  had  the  honour  of  early,  though  bloodless 
success.  It  was  at  this  point  that  Marion  joined 
the  new  troops,  a  few  days  before  the  defeat  of 
Gates.  His  personal  appearance  at  this  time  is  thus 
described  by  Judge  James,  a  son  of  the  Major,  who, 
at  the  a<ie  of  fifteen,  was  a  volunteer  under  Marion. 
"  He  was  rather  below  the  middle  stature,  lean  and 
swarthy.  His  body  was  well  set,  but  his  knees  and 
ancles  were  badly  formed,  and  he  still  limped  upon 
one  leg.  He  had  a  countenance  remarkably  steady; 
his  nose  was  aquiline,  his  chin  projecting ;  his  fore- 
head large  and  high,  and  his  eyes  black  and  pierc- 
ing. He  was  then  forty-eight  years  of  age,  with  a 
frame  capable  of  enduring  fatigue  and  every  priva- 
tion. *  *  *  He  was  dressed  in  a  c_ose  round- 
bodied  crimson  jacket,  of  a  coarse  texture,  and  wore 
a  leather  cap,  part  of  the  uniform  of  the  second 
regiment,  with  a  silver  crescent  in  frcLt,  inscribed 
with  the  words,  '  Liberty  or  Death  !'  " 

We  cannot  fix  with  exactness  the  order  of  time 
in  which  all  Marion's  movements  were  made,  nor 
is  it  important.     He  was  proceeding,  on  the  day 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  85 

after  the  battle  of  Camden,  in  pursuance  of  Gates's 
instructions,  to  break  up  the  boats  on  the  Santee, 
when  the  startling  news  of  the  defeat  of  the  Ame- 
rican army  reached  him  ;  and  of  course  operations 
of  that  nature  were  no  longer  necessary,  or  advisa- 
ble. Marion  at  once  desisted,  and  struck  to  the 
woods  to  prepare  for  the  Tories,  who  had  a  new 
advantage  over  him  in  the  exasperation  of  the 
planters  at  the  destruction  of  their  property. 

Gates's  defeat,  which  took  place  on  the  16th  ot 
August,  1780,  had  been  as  complete  as  his  advance 
had  been  incautious.  On  the  night  of  the  15th, 
the  American  army  moved  from  Rugely's  Mills, 
about  twelve  miles  from  Camden,  where  the  enemy 
lay ;  and  on  the  same  night  the  British  moved  from 
Camden,  for  Rugely's  Mills,  the  object  of  each  com- 
mander being  to  surprise  the  other.  The  two 
armies  met  in  the  darkness,  and,  after  exchanging: 
a  few  shots,  fell  back  to  wait  for  daylight.  De  Kalb 
and  others  of  the  American  officers,  advised  a  retreat 
to  the  original  position — but  this  Gates  would  not 
listen  to.  The  greater  part  of  the  American  forces 
had  never  seen  any  service ;  but  in  the  night  they 
showed  a  gallantry  which  indicated  better  things 
than  they  performed  in  the  morning.  The  action 
began  w'th  the  break  of  day;  but  with  the  unex 


86  LIFE     OP     M4KION. 

pected  severity  of  the  Britis  1  fire,  the  raw  troops 
broke,  some  of  them  without  firing  a  gun.  General 
Gates  hurried  after  them,  in  a  fruitless  attempt  to 
bring  them  back,  and  the  continentals,  nine  hundred 
m  number,  were  left  to  sustain  the  attack  of  two 
thousand  veterans,  who  were  flushed  with  victory. 
The  Americans,  with  De  Kalb  at  their  head,  fought 
with  desperation;  and  their  veteran  commander 
fell  with  no  less  than  eleven  wounds.  British  offi- 
cers, when  his  name  was  made  known  by  Du  Buy- 
sen,  his  gallant  aid,  who  threw  himself  between  the 
fallen  hero  and  the  enemies'  bayonets,  interposed, 
and  prevented  his  being  killed  upon  the  spot.  The 
..out  was  complete,  and,  under  such  circumstances, 
it  is  only  wronderful  that  the  brave  continentals 
endured  the  unequal  contest  so  long. 

Immediately  after  the  victory,  Cornwallis  sullied 
his  laurels  by  hanging  some  twelve  or  fifteen  of  his 
prisoners,  on  the  easy  pretext  which  the  vacillating 
or  treacherous  "  proclamations"  furnished.  He  had, 
previously  to  the  battle,  issued  general  orders,  from 
which  the  following  is  an  extract : 

"  All  the  inhabitants  of  this  province,  who  had 
submitted,  and  who  have  taken  a  part  in  this  revolt, 
shall  be  punished  with  the  greatest  rigour;  they 
shall  be  imprisoned,  and.  their  whole  property  taken 


LIFE     OF    MARION.  87 

from  them  or  destroyed.  I  have  likewise  directed 
that  compensation  should  be  made,  out  of  their 
effects,  to  persons  who  have  been  plundered  or 
oppressed  by  them.  I  have  ordered  in  the  most 
positive  manner,  that  every  militia-man,  who  had 
borne  arm 3  with  us,  and  had  afterwards  joined  the 
enemy,  should  be  immediately  hanged  !" 

With  this  order,  and  with  the  commander-in- 
chief's  example,  and  the  vmdictiveness  of  partisan 
hate,  there  was  little  hope  from  the  mercies  of  the 
British  party  afterward ;  nor,  we  are  sorry  to  say, 
could  the  Whigs  refrain  from  retaliation,  although 
Marion  and  other  officers  laboured  hard  to  prevent 
cruelty  and  wanton  mischief.  Reserving-  these 
things  for  the  future  chapters,  we  will  close  this 
with  one  more  disaster. 

General  Sumter,  a  partisan  officer,  whose  fame  is 
second  only  to  that  of  Marion,  had,  in  July,  obtained 
several  victories  over  detachments  of  the  enemy. 
To  him,  indeed,  belongs  the  merit  of  enving  the 
first  check  to  the  British  success,  after  the  fall  of 
Charleston.  While  Gates  was  losing  the  battle  of 
Camden,  Sumter  attacked  a  convoy  of  British 
stores,  capturing  three  hundred  prisoners,  and  secur- 
ing forty  wagons  of  munitions  and  provisions.  Had 
Gat>s  waited  a  couple  of  days,  or  been  cautious 


58  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

instead  of  rash,  this  affair  of  Sumter's  might  have 
come  in  as  a  powerful  aid  in  raising  the  confidence 
Df  the  main  army.  As  it  was,  Sumter  was  incau- 
tious as  valiant,  and,  encamping  within  an  impru- 
dent vicinity  of  the  victorious  enemy,  he  was  sur- 
prised, and  not  only  lost  the  booty  he  had  taken, 
but  barely  escaped  himself. 


LIFE     OF     MARION. 


39 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Marion  watches  :he  Road  between  Charleston  and  Camden — Disperses 
a  British  Party  and  liberates  its  Prisoners — Fluctuating1  Numbers  of 
Marion's  Band — Surprise  of  Captain  Barfield — Defeat  jf  the  Tories 
at  Black  Minsro. 


OW,  after  the  rout  of  Gates,  and  the 
breaking  up  of  Sumter's  band,  any 
more  irresolute  commander  than  Ma- 
rion would  have  considered  the  cause, 
for  the  present  at  least,  hopeless,  and  far- 
ther efforts  of  no  service.  But  Marion, 
who  had  with  him  at  this  time  only  about 
thirty  men,  rightly  deemed  that  while  the 
British  were  somewhat  incautious  en  ac- 
count of  their  late  successes,  precisely  the  moment 
offered  when  his  handful  of  followers  could  be  made 
available.  He  was  well  informed,  both  by  volunteer 
advices  and  by  his  own  regular  scouts,  of  the  move- 
ments of  the  enemy's  forces,  and  resolved  that  the 
victorious  foe  should  be  taught  that  the  defeat  of 
Gates,  thorough  and  unfortunate  as  it  was,  had  not 
wholly  extinguished  the  patriot  courage.  To  this 
end,  he  watched  the  road  between  Charleston  and 


90  LIFE    OF     MARION. 

Camden,  as  the  communications  passing  between 
the  British  forces  at  those  two  points  offered  oppor- 
tunity to  intercept  some  of  the  parties. 

Nor  was  he  long-  in  waiting.  Hearing  of  the 
approach  of  a  party  of  British  soldiers,  with  prison- 
ers, he  pushed  on  with  his  force,  and  crossed  Nel- 
son's Ferry  in  advance  of  the  British,  under  cover 
of  the  supposition  that  they  were  loyalists.  The 
nearer  to  Charleston  that  the  attack  could  be  made, 
the  better  opportunity  was  there  for  a  surprise,  as 
such  an  event  would  be  less  expected.  The  British 
party  halted  at  a  tavern,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
for  the  night ;  and,  at  dawn,  Marion  and  his  men 
fell  upon  them.  The  sentinels  had  barely  time  to 
discharge  their  guns  and  run  in;  Marion's  men 
rushed  into  the  tavern-yard  with  them ;  and  almost 
in  an  instant  the  affair  was  over.  Twenty-six  of  the 
British  were  killed  or  made  prisoners,  with  a  loss 
of  one  man  killed  and  one  slightly  wounded,  on  the 
part  of  the  Americans.  The  little  party  were,  by 
this  affair,  supplied  with  better  arms,  and  re-fur- 
nished with  ammunition.  At  the  time  of  making 
the  attack  Marion's  men  had  only  four  rounds  of 
ammunition,  and  hardly  a  sword  among  them. 
This  was,  however,  much  better  than  they  were 
often  furnished ;  for  they  not  unfrequently  made  an 
attack  when  a  portion  of  them  were  compelled  to 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  91 

be  mere  spectators,  for  the  lack  of  arms,  and  to 
triist  to  the  capture  of  guns  from  the  enemy,  to 
supply  diemselves.  But  their  daring-  audacity  led 
the  enemy  to  suspect  least  of  all  their  inefficiency ; 
and  the  suddenness  and  boldness  of  their  move- 
ments supplied  the  lack  of  numbers  and  deficiency 
of  arms.  Horsemen  without  swords  would  be  help- 
less soldiers ;  and  Marion  took  measures  to  remedy 
this  defect.  He  "disarmed"  the  saw-mills,  and  of 
the  material  thus  collected  had  cutlasses  forged, 
which  probably  made  up  in  weight  what  they  lacked 
in  quality  of  metal ;  for  a  single  blow  from  one  of 
Marion's  men  was  often  death. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  American  prisoners  were 
liberated  by  this  gallant  achievement  of  Marion; 
and  it  was  certainly  not  unreasonable  to  expect  that 
his  force  would  receive  a  lar^e  accession  from  the 
rescued  prisoners.  But  not  more  than  two  or  three, 
of  so  many,  would  join  his  band.  They  considered 
the  cause  as  hopeless,  and  could  see  no  use,  they 
said,  in  fighting  any  longer,  when  all  was  lost. 

There  is  one  feature  of  Marion's  command  which 
it  may  be  well  to  explain  here,  as  it  will  furnish  a 
key  to  the  variableness  in  the  number  of  his  men. 
No  service  was  ever  more  strictly  voluntary  than 
that  of  the  soldiers  under  his  command.  When' 
ever  he  was  pursued  by  a  superior  force,  or  circum- 


92  LIFE     OP    MARION. 

stances  made  his  numbers  a  mark  for  the  enemy, 
and  he  was  still  not  in  sufficient  force  to  contend,  it 
vras  customary  with  him  to  dismiss  them.  All 
except  a  chosen  few,  and  sometimes  even  those, 
scattered  and  disappeared,  returning  to  their  fami- 
lies ;  or,  if  that  were  unsafe  or  impracticable,  con- 
cealing themselves  at  different  points  —  each  for 
himself.  The  brigade  which  struck  terror  so  often 
into  the  hearts  of  the  British  and  Tories,  even  in 
their  fortified  towns  and  camps,  seemed  absolutely 
to  vanish  when  to  contend  was  unadvisable.  But 
they  vanished  only  to  reappear  when  least  expected. 
Dispersion  was  part  of  their  tactics ;  and  a  pursuing 
force  was  never  in  more  danger  than  when,  by  the 
usual  customs  of  warfare,  it  would  appear  that  the 
party  pursued  was  entirely  broken  and  scattered 
Such  perfect  influence  had  Marion  over  his  men, 
that  he  knew  they  would  promptly  reappear  at  the 
understood  signal;  and  if  any  chose  by  chance  to 
withdraw  entirely,  he  claimed  and  asserted  no  right 
to  forbid  it.  Voluntary  and  cheerful  service  was 
the  life  of  his  command ;  and  expulsion  from  the 
brigade  was  the  severest  punishment  known  in  his 
code. 

Many  men  were,  by  this  system,  enabled  at  once 
to  give  some  attention  to  their  domestic  duties  and 
needs,  and  to  remain  in  the  service  of  the  country, 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  93 

acting  when  occasion  called.  Marion  had  estab- 
lished  the  most  perfect  system  of  espionage  on  the 
movements  of  the  enemy  which  ever  existed  in  any 
warfare.  Information  was  constantly  reaching  him 
from  all  quarters,  giving  the  British  no  opportunity 
to  move  without  his  knowledge ;  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  kept  his  intentions  secret,  even  from 
his  own  officers,  until  the  moment  arrived  for  put- 
ting his  men  in  motion.  There  was  an  air  of  mys- 
terious daring  in  what  he  undertook,  and  a  bustle 
ot  hearty  enterprise  about  his  movements,  which 
gave  a  charm  to  the  life  his  followers  led.  As  he 
never  needlessly  or  carelessly  led  them  into  danger, 
and  never  forced  their  inclinations,  they  wTere,  to 
use  an  expressive  proverbial  saying,  ready  to  "  fol- 
low him  blind ;"  and  the  result,  in  almost  every 
case,  justified  their  confidence.  He  studied  to  make 
each  man  feel  his  individual  weight  and  conse- 
quence, and  to  lead  each  to  act  always  in  accord- 
ance with  the  voluntary  principle,  as  we  have 
already  observed.  All  thus  acting  willingly  were 
content  that  he  should  be  the  sole  guardian  of  his 
own  purposes ;  and  they  even  watched  his  cook,  to 
discover  when  he  was  preparing  an  extra  quantity 
of  Marion's  provision,  and  govern  their  own  move- 
ments accordingly.  State  he  never  affected,  noi 
could  he,  from  his  slight  frame  accomplish  persona] 


94  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

dcds  of  remarkable  prowess.  His  sword  was  so 
seldom  flourished,  that  it  is  related  that  he  once 
found  it  difficult  to  draw  from  the  scabbard,  on 
a 'count  of  the  rust.  His  was  a  pure  empire  of 
mind ;  and  in  his  narrower  sphere  he  was  a  Napo 
leon.  Never  were  the  great  Emperor's  guard  more 
attached  to  their  commander,  than  were  Marion's 
men  to  the  partisan  chieftain  who  so  often  led  them 
to  victory. 

But  it  is  time  to  resume  the  thread  of  our  narra- 
tive. Just  at  this  juncture  several  affairs  occurred, 
the  precise  order  and  date  of  which  it  is  difficult  tc 
fix.  One  of  these  was  the  surprise  of  Major  Gai- 
ney,  who  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  partisan 
officers  in  the  British  service.  He  held  a  position 
on  Britton's  Neck  ;  and  Marion,  advancing  with  his 
usual  celerity,  dispersed  the  party,  killing  a  captain 
and  several  privates,  but  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 
He  came  near,  however,  losing  the  gallant  Major 
James.  That  officer,  singling  out  Gainey  for  pur- 
suit, followed  him  alone  and  unsupported,  till  he 
suddenly  found  himself  confronted  by  a  large  body 
of  Tories,  who  had  rallied.  Here  was  a  dangerous 
position  for  a  single  man ;  but  with  the  ready  pre- 
sence of  mind  which  so  often  stood  the  partisan  in 
lieu  of  numbers,  Major  James  waved  his  sword  and 
shouted,  "  Come  on,  boys !    Here  they  are !"     The 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  95 

Tories  supposing,  of  course,  that  Major  James  led 
the  attacking  party,  broke  once  more,  and  made 
their  escape  from  one  man,  by  taking  to  the  swamp ; 
and  James,  successful  in  his  ruse,  returned  in  safety 
to  his  comrades.  A  second  party  of  Tories,  under 
command  of  Captain  Barfield,  was  next  defeated  as 
completely  as  Gainey  had  been;  and,  with  ammu- 
nition replenished,  Marion  returned  to  Britton's 
Neck,  where  he  mounted  two  old  field-pieces,  which 
were  among  his  recent  captures. 

These  bold  and  striking  movements  of  Marion,, 
inasmuch  as  they  kept  the  fire  of  patriotism  awake, 
and  mocked  the  security  upon  which  the  Tories 
counted,  compelled  the  British  commander  to  take 
extraordinary  measures  to  quiet  Mr.  Marion,  as  they 
persisted  in  calling  him,  unwilling  to  recognize  the 
military  rank  of  the  leader  whom  they  could  not 
conquer.  Tarleton's  Legion,  another  body  of  British 
troops,  under  Colonel  Wemyss,  and  a  detachment 
of  Tories,  under  Major  Harrison,  were  despatched 
in  pursuit.  The  Tories  were  auxiliary  to  the  com- 
mand of  Wemyss.  Marion,  whose  force  was  at 
this  time  only  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
found  it  necessary  to  retreat  toward  North  Carolina, 
leaving  Wemyss  to  get  recruits  ready  for  the  Ame- 
rican army,  when  it  should  return.  This  the  British 
officer  did  most  effectually ;  unwittingly  performing 


96  LIFE     OF     MARION 

a  service  for  the  cause  of  freedom,  which  was  bit- 
terly rued  by  his  Tory  allies.  The  British  Gene- 
ral's method  of  strengthening  the  Americans  was 
by  fire  and  sword.  The  region  through  which  he 
passed  in  his  advance,  seventy  miles  long,  and  fifteen 
in  breadth,  was  absolutely  burned  over.  Private 
enmity,  to  satisfy  an  old  grudge,  had  only  to  point 
out  to  the  British  commander  the  residence  of  the 
person  hated  as  that  of  "  a  rebel,"  and,  upon  this 
accusation,  the  buildings  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and 
the  cattle  and  sheep  driven  off  or  slaughtered.  l\\ 
order  to  render  the  wanton  destruction  more  com- 
plete, the  marauding  British  commander  would  not 
suffer  the  furniture  to  be  taken  from  the  houses 
which  he  fired  ;  and  if  the  inhabitants  escaped  with 
their  lives,  they  were  fortunate. 

Wemyss  carried  out  the  instructions  of  Corn- 
wallis,  which  we  have  quoted  in  a  preceding  chap- 
ter, to  the  letter ;  varying  his  fiendish  course  with 
the  execution,  now  and  then,  of  some  person  who 
had  committed  the  crime  of  taking  up  arms  for  his 
country.  The  prayers  and  entreaties  of  the  un- 
happy relatives,  the  cries  of  children  in  behalf  of  a 
father,  or  of  parents  for  a  child,  the  stay  of  their 
old  age ;  the  wails  of  the  wife  who  saw  her  hus- 
band seized  by  the  ruthless  foe — nothing  availed 
with  this  fiendish  marauder.     In  one  instance  it  is 


LIFE     OP    MARION.  97 

related  that  he  would  have  ridden  over  the  wife  and 
children  of  a  prisoner,  who  threw  themselves  across 
Iiis  path  to  beseech  him  for  the  life  of  the  husband 
and  father,  had  not  his  officers  interposed  to  prevent 
him,  for  very  shame,  from  committing  a  crime  so 
brutal.  Churches  he  burned  with  sacrilegious 
indifference,  denouncing  them  as  "sedition  shops," 
and,  in  a  word,  he  appeared  to  rack  his  invention 
for  modes  in  which  to  exhibit  his  absence  of  human 
sympathy  or  human  feeling. 

Before  deciding  to  retreat,  Marion  with  his  small 
force  hung  for  a  while  upon  the  skirts  of  Wemyss 
Major  James  preceded  Marion  with  a  reconnoitring 
party ;  and,  as  not  unusual  with  Marion's  scouts, 
he  very  frequently  brought  away  prisoners  as  well 
as  information  ;  pouncing,  with  a  shout,  upon  strag- 
gling parties  in  the  rear,  and  sweeping  away  cap- 
tives in  a  flash.  But  the  observations  of  Major 
James  were  such  as  convinced  Marion  of  the  inu- 
tility of  attempting  to  do  anything  against  the  force 
which  Wemyss  led ;  and  it  is  recorded  that  Marion's 
men  sat  upon  their  horses  in  anxious  suspense  to 
hear  what  decision  the  officers  would  reach  after 
consulting  with  Major  James's  report  before  them. 
When  the  order  was  given  to  march  back  to  Lynch's 
Creek,  a  groan  was  audible  along  the  whole  lino , 
but  Marion's  mm  were  accustomed  to  obey. 

a 


98  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

The  retreat  decided  upon,  Marion  took  Lis  mea- 
sures at  once.  As  he  moved  toward  the  North,  his 
men,  as  had  been  directed,  disappeared,  one  by  one, 
leaving  him  only  about  sixty.  The  field-pieces  he 
carried  with  him  a  short  distance,  but  finding  little 
use,  in  his  peculiar  mode  of  warfare,  for  such  cum- 
bersome arms,  he  caused  them  to  be  turned  into  a 
swamp  and  left.  He  despatched  scouting  parties 
of  tried  men  back  to  South  Carolina,  to  watch  the 
enemy  and  keep  him  advised  of  their  movements, 
and  also  to  encourage  the  Whigs,  and  induce  them 
to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  for  service,  when 
occasion  should  present  itself.  And  well  Marion 
knew,  from  the  character  of  the  enemy,  that,  as  we 
have  already  seen,  their  conduct  was  precisely  of  a 
description  to  second  his  efforts. 

Many  anecdotes  of  Marion's  scouts  are  among 
the  legends  of  South  Carolina.  One  party  of  four, 
in  charge  of  Captain  Gavin  Witherspoon,  performed 
a  feat  which  is  among  the  most  remarkable.  We 
should  rather  say,  that  Witherspoon  himself  did  the 
work,  his  men  merely  aiding  when  they  could,  for 
very  astonishment,  do  nothing  else.  Witherspoon, 
having  discovered  a  party  of  Tories,  who  were  in 
pursuit  of  him,  encamped,  proposed  to  his  party 
that  they  should  watch  the  Tories  until  they  slept 
But  the  three  were  disinclined  to  this  experiment 


LIFE    OP     MARION.  99 

They  said  the  number  of  the  enemy  was  so  much 
superior,  that,  no  good  could  come  of  it.  Captain 
Witherspoon  then  resolved  to  watch  the  party  alone. 

Putting  in  practice  the  arts  of  an  experienced 
scout,  he  worked  himself  silently  near  enough  to 
ascertain  the  exact  position  of  the  party.  Having 
no  fear  of  interruption,  the  Tories  had  disposed 
themselves  to  sleep  at  the  butt  of  a  prostrate  pine, 
while  their  arms  were  piled  against  one  of  its 
branches.  Witherspoon  worked  himself  up  till  he 
had  gained  possession  of  their  guns,  and  then,  in  a 
loud  voice,  summoned  the  sleepers  to  surrender. 
Unarmed,  and  knowing  by  the  direction  of  the 
voice,  and  perhaps  by  the  click  of  a  gun-lock,  where 
the  challenger  stood,  and  presuming,  of  course,  that 
he  was  well  backed,  the  party  submitted,  and  With- 
erspoon's  followers  now  came  up,  in  season  to  assist 
him  in  securing  the  seven  persons  whom  he  had 
captured. 

The  several  parties  in  pursuit  of  Marion,  sup- 
posing that  they  had  entirely  broken  up  his  force, 
and  that  retreat  was  equivalent  to  defeat,  rested. 
The  British  returned  to  Georgetown,  and  the  Tories 
to  Black  Mingo.  Now,  in  accordance  with  his 
tactics,  was  the  time  for  Marion  to  strike.  He 
knew  that  the  apparent  quiet  into  which  the  cruel 
ties  of  the  enemy  had  reduced  the  country,  was  thu 


100  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

silent  brooding  of  revenge,  which  waited  but  its 
opportunity ;  and,  though  his  party  was  small,  he 
counted  on  strong  reinforcements  as  soon  as  the 
whisper  should  run  from  cabin  to  cabin,  and  from 
swamp  to  swamp,  "  Marion  is  coming !" 

Hurrying  forward,  night  and  day,  on  the  second 
day  of  his  journey  he  had  accomplished  sixty  miles, 
and  at  Lynch's  Creek  was  joined  by  a  party  of 
Whigs,  under  Captains  James  and  Mouzon.  The 
Tories  were  fifteen  miles  distant,  at  Black  Mingo. 
They  were  encamped  near  a  ferry,  over  a  deep  and 
rapid  stream,  which  ferry,  of  course,  they  com- 
manded, so  that  they  felt  sure  against  attack.  But 
about  a  mile  above  the  Tory  camp  was  a  bridge  of 
planks,  the  approach  to  which  was  over  a  rude 
causeway  through  a  bog — and  this  pass  the  Tories 
had  left  unwatched.  Marion's  party  reached  it  at 
midnight,  and,  crossing  it  at  a  gallop,  soon  gained 
the  high  road  on  the  other  side,  the  bridge  being 
on  a  bye-path.  As  they  crossed,  the  alarm-gun 
sounded  from  the  Tory  camp ;  and,  the  enemy  hav- 
ing been  by  some  means  apprised  of  their  approach, 
the  affair  which  Marion  intended  should  have  been 
a  surprise,  became  a  sharply  contested  skirmish. 

Marion's  disposition  of  his  forces  was  made  in  an 
instant.  He  went  in  his  expeditions  prepared  for 
any  turn  affairs  might  take,  and  ready  to  seize  what- 


LIFE     OF    MARJON  101 

e\er  disadvantage  circumstances  might  present.  A 
party  of  picked  men,  under  Captain  Waties,  was 
sent  to  gain  the  rear  of  the  encampment,  and  attack 
a  house  in  which  it  was  supposed  the  Tories  were 
posted.  The  rest  of  the  party  advanced  to  the 
attack  with  great  impetuosity,  but  were  received 
with  a  galling  fire,  the  Tories  having  left  the  house, 
and  being  formed  and  ready  to  repel  their  assail- 
ants. The  Tory  party  outnumbered  the  other  at 
least  two  to  one. 

For   a   moment   Marion's   men    stago-ered,    but 

DO  7 

quickly  rallied,  and  returned  to  the  charge.  The 
defence  was  resolute  and  brave,  and  the  result  san- 
guinary. Had  it  not  been  for  the  precaution  taken 
by  Marion,  the  issue  might  have  been  doubtful ; 
but  at  this  moment  Captain  Waties,  finding  the 
house  which  he  was  ordered  to  attack  deserted, 
came  up  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy.  The  Tory 
commander,  Captain  John  C.  Ball,  had  fallen,  and 
s 3 veral  other  officers;  and  now  finding  themselves 
between  two  fires,  as  Captain  Waties  vigorously 
pushed  his  attack,  the  enemy  broke  in  great  preci- 
pitation, and  took  refuge  in  the  swamp.  The  force 
was  completely  annihilated  ;  and  it  was  a  long  time 
before  the  spirits  of  tl  e  Tories  recovered  from  a 
defeat  so  thorough. 

This  advantage  was  gained  with  much  greater 


1 02  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

proportional  loss  of  men  than  almost  any  other  in 
which  Marion  was  engaged ;  for  his  plan  of  con 
ducting  the  war  was  to  spare  human  life.  Fully 
one-third  of  the  troops  which  he  commanded  were 
killed  or  wounded.  Among  the  former  was  Captain 
Logan,  and  among  the  latter  were  Captain  Mouzon 
and  Lieutenant  Scott.  The  loss  of  the  Tories  was 
even  greater.  The  affair  would  have  resulted  in  a 
defeat  of  the  enemy  quite  as  useful,  and  at  much 
less  expense  of  life,  but  for  the  alarm  which  was 
given  by  the  horses'  hoofs  on  Black  Mingo  Bridge  ; 
and  from  that  time  Marion  never  suffered  his  troops 
to  ride  over  a  bridge  in  the  night,  till  the  precaution 
had  first  been  taken  to  cover  it  with  the  soldiers 
blankets,  to  prevent  the  sounding  of  the  horses' 
hooft  uj)oi*  the  pbnks. 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  103 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Beijeant  Macdonald  and  the  Tory — Marion's  Horse,  "  Ball" — His  pre- 
ference for  Fords,  over  Bridges — His  contempt  of  Luxury — Colonel 
Peter  Horry's  Horsemanship — Good  Result  from  an  accident — Mari- 
on's Commission  as  Brigadier,  and  Horry's  as  Colonel — The  Value 
of  these  Commissions — Surprise  of  the  Tories  on  the  Pedee. 


FTER  the  defeat  of  the  Tories  at 
Black  Mingo,  Marion  gave  his  sol- 
diers rest.  Indeed,  there  was,  just 
u^}^'  then,  little  else  to  do.  The  Whigs 
did  not,  like  the  loyalists,  amuse  themselves 
by  burning  houses,  when  no  body  of  the 
enemy  presented  itself,  nor  did  they  seek 
single  loyalists,  and  drag  them  from  their  beds 
and  from  their  families.  Sometimes,  it  is  true,  arti- 
fice or  plunder  was  resorted  to  against  wealthy  To- 
ries on  private  account.  Such  was  the  trick  played 
by  a  serjeant  in  Marion's  Brigade,  a  young  Scot 
named  Macdonald.  He  went  to  a  wealthy  and 
well-known  Tory,  who  resided  near  Tarleton's  en- 
campment, and,  representing  himself  to  be  a  ser- 
jeant in  Tarleton's  legion,  bearing  a  message  from 
his  commander,  was  received  with  a  profusion  oi 


1 04  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

compliments,  and  great  civility.  It  was  considered 
a  high  honour  by  the  wealthy  loyalist  to  be  remem 
bered  in  so  distinguished  a  manner  by  the  British 
officer.  Macdonald  then,  with  unblushing  effron 
tery,  stated  that  Colonel  Tarleton,  knowing  the 
excellent  character  of  his  stables,  had  sent,  with  his 
compliments,  for  one  of  his  best  horses,  for  the 
Colonel's  own  riding.  This  was  a  testimonial 
alike  to  his  loyalty  and  to  his  "  knowledge  in  horse- 
flesh/' which  the  loyalist  could  not  withstand  ;  and, 
as  the  Serjeant  took  pains  to  make  the  message  suf- 
ficiently adulatory  to  the  distinguished  devotion  of 
the  Tory  to  the  royal  cause,  the  dupe  gave  him  his 
very  best,  his  own  favourite  steed,  and  added  a  new 
saddle  and  splendid  equipments.  The  Serjeant  was 
furthermore  feasted  with  a  hot  and  comfortable 
breakfast — a  rare  treat  to  one  of  Marion's  men,  and 
then  despatched  with  a  message  to  Tarleton  full  of 
the  heartiest  thanks  for  his  consideration ;  as  if  the 
person  who  gave,  and  not  the  officer  who  received 
the  splendid  present  was  the  party  obliged.  The 
old  loyalist  called  at  the  camp,  of  course,  to  receive 
the  Colonel's  acknowledgments ;  and  was  not  a 
little  chagrined,  as  we  may  well  suppose,  when  he 
discovered  the  trick  which  had  been  played  upon 
him.  This  adventure  put  Serjeant  Macdonald  in 
possession  of  one  of  the  finest  horses  in  the  Brigade 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  105 

It  was  justified  on  the  plea  that  "  all  is  fair  m  war ;" 
but  we  think  that  even  the  Serjeant  himself  would 
have  valued  his  charger  more  if  it  had  been  obtained 
in  a  fair  fight,  with  an  open  enemy. 

Marion  himself  rode,  during  a  great  part  of  his 
campaigns,  a  famous  horse,  named  Ball,  in  compli- 
ment to  his  former  owner,  a  loyalist  captain  from 
whom  he  had  taken  him;  the  same  Captain  Ball 
who  fell  at  Black  Mingo,  as  stated  in  our  last  chap- 
ter. This  horse  was  as  celebrated  among  quadru- 
peds as  Marion  was  among  men.  He  "  took  to  the 
water,"  as  the  phrase  is,  like  a  Newfoundland  dog; 
and  his  master  put  unlimited  confidence  in  him. 
And  Marion  had  need  of  a  horse  who  could  swim, 
for  as  with  all  his  daring  he  was  a  man  of  slight 
muscular  powers,  so,  notwithstanding  that  he  pre- 
ferred fords  to  bridges,  he  could  not  swim.  Yet,  it 
was  his  custom  to  destroy  all  bridges  in  his  routes, 
where  practicable,  in  order  to  prevent  the  marches 
of  large  bodies  of  the  enemy ;  and  he  avoided  cross- 
ing them  himself  with  his  party,  on  account  of  the 
noise.  He  plunged  his  horse  Ball  into  the  rivers, 
at  the  head  of  his  troop  ;  and  the  horses  of  the  Bri- 
gade, emulating  Ball's  example,  learned  to  follow. 
This  was  one  of  the  methods  by  which  Marion 
made  so  many  surprises;  for  a  river  was  no  protect- 
ion against  the   flying   visits   of  Marion's   troop. 


106  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

They  were  cumbered  with  no  artillery,  and  no  bag 
gage.  Much  of  the  time  Marion  himself  had  not 
even  a  blanket ;  for  his  bed  of  brush  caught  fire  one 
night,  and  not  only  destroyed  his  blanket,  but  singed 
his  own  hair,  and  spoiled  his  famous  leather  cap. 
This  was  the  only  time,  we  believe,  that  Marion 
was  ever  "  surprised"  in  his  encampment.  He  was 
in  no  hurry  to  replace  the  lost  article,  either  because 
it  was  not  convenient,  or  that  he  would  teach  his 
men  self-denial.  Such  privations  and  contempt  of 
comfort  on  the  part  of  the  chief  made  the  men 
hardy.  They  remind  one  of  the  Highland  chief 
tain,  who,  when  he  found  that  one  of  his  clan  had 
rolled  together  a  large  snow-ball  for  a  pillow,  broke 
it  to  pieces  with  a  kick,  protesting  that  he  would 
permit  no  such  luxuries  ! 

But  Marion  was  not  the  only  one  of  his  party 
who  could  not  swim.  It  is  wonderful  what  enthu- 
siastic patriotism,  and  the  love  of  adventure,  will 
lead  men  to  dare.  Colonel  Peter  Horry,  of  whom 
we  have  otten  spoken,  not  only  could  not  swim,  but 
was  a  wretchedly  poor  horseman;  and  yet  went 
dashing  through  with  the  Brigade,  "neck  or  no- 
thing." On  one  occasion,  while  swimming  a 
swamp,  he  wras  caught  by  a  hanging  bough,  in  the 
dark,  and  his  horse  swam  away  from  him.  He 
slung  to  the  tree  unti    rescued  by  his  men;  and 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  107 

indeed,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  owed  his  life  to 
them.  He  was  often  unhorsed  in  combat,  and  in 
one  case  at  least  such  an  accident  was  the  cause  of 
success,  instead  of  disaster. 

Colonel  Horry's  men,  being  surprised  by  the 
enemy,  suddenly,  and  with  more  speed  than  cour- 
age, retreated.  The  gallant  Colonel  cried  after  them 
to  halt,  feeling  conscious,  perhaps,  that  in  such  a 
steeple  chase  he  would  stand  a  small  chance ;  but 
they  hurried  off  without  paying  any  attention  to 
his  orders.  When  he  found  he  needs  must,  he 
clapped  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  attempted  to  follow ; 
but  his  steed  embraced  the  opportunity  to  toss  the 
gallant  Colonel  over  his  head  "  full  ten  feet,"  as 
Horry  himself  describes  it ;  and  it  must  be  acknow- 
ledged, that  this  was  high  vaulting.  Fortunately, 
the  Colonel  received  no  hurt,  but  recovering  his  legs 
in  an  instant,  shouted  again  to  his  men  to  "  halt  and 
form  !"  The  pursuers  by  this  time  began  to  sus- 
pect, as  Marion's  men  were  not  much  in  the  habit 
of  running  from  an  enemy,  that  this  flight  was  a 
trick,  and  hesitated  for  fear  of  an  ambush.  The 
Colonel's  followers,  missing  their  leader,  and  seeing 
his  dangerous  predicament,  rallied  and  returned 
and  just  as  the  British  renewed  their  advance, 
Horry's  party  opened  upon  them  a  fire,  which  tokl 
with  such  effect  that  several  of  their  number  wove. 


1 08  LIFE    OF    MARION, 

killed,  and  the  rest  put  to  flight.  Horry  replaced 
his  horse  by  shooting,  with  his  pistol,  a  British  sol 
dier  who  was  on  the  point  of  hewing  him  down. 
Thus  was  the  Colonel's  awkwardness  the  means  of 
preserving  the  character  of  his  troop ;  though  it 
must  be  acknowledged  that  skill  is  a  much  surer 
dependence  in  an  extremity  than  accident. 

About  the  time  of  the  affair  at  Black  Minsro. 
Governor  Rutledge,  who  was  still  in  North  Caro- 
lina, sent  to  Marion  a  Brigadier  General's  commis- 
sion. It  conferred  upon  him,  in  addition  to  the 
usual  military  rank,  extraordinary  powers,  such  as 
are  only  granted  to  extraordinary  men,  at  imminent 
junctures.  It  is  not  the  least  honourable  feature  in 
Marion's  history,  that  so  far  from  abusing  the  almost 
dictatorial  authority  which  was  conferred  upon  him, 
he  hardly  ever  used  it.  He  seldom  received  any 
but  voluntary  supplies  from  the  inhabitants,  holding 
it  as  an  axiom  that  it  was  better  to  live  upon  the 
enemy  than  upon  friends ;  and  this  considerate 
treatment  of  the  impoverished  inhabitants  procured 
him  much  more  aid  than  he  could  have  wrested 
from  them.  It  made  them  also  firm,  though  often 
necessarily  concealed  friends;  and  many,  even  in 
the  Tory  districts,  whose  loyalty  was  unsuspected, 
secretly  kept  him  advised  of  the  movements  of  the 
enemy.     Governor  Rutledge  showed  his  apprecia 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  109 

tion  of  character,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  propel 
qualities  of  a  partisan  officer,  in  the  commission 
which  he  granted  to  Marion.  He  had  seen  the 
failures  of  "  regular"  officers,  and  knew  that,  in  the 
peculiar  warfare  of  which  Carolina  was  the  scene, 
Marion's  tactics  offered  the  only  mode  of  keeping 
up  any  show  of  resistance  to  the  enemy.  Horr} 
was  not  forgotten  either ;  for  the  same  messengef 
which  brought  Marion's  commission  as  Brigadier, 
likewise  brought  his  friend's  as  Colonel. 

We  have  from  Horry's  own  pen  his  high  appre- 
ciation of  the  honour  done  him.  Indeed,  the  worthy 
but  ambitious  soldier  appears  to  have  been  greatly 
elated.  He  idolized  Marion ;  and  to  be  appointed 
colonel  in  his  Brigade  was  a  reward  sufficient  for 
all  his  past  services,  and  a  spur  to  future  exertions. 
General  Marion,  who  was  'a  man,  as  we  have  seen, 
of  cooler  head,  and  one  who  had  little  taste  for  titles 
and  military  state,  seems  to  have  smiled  at  the  idea 
of  Governor  Rutledge  in  making  him  a  military 
commander,  and  almost  a  civil  despot,  in  a  tract  of 
country  over  which  the  British  had,  at  that  time, 
absolute  sway  and  command,  except  so  far  as  Ma- 
rion himself  disturbed  them  in  it.  While  lie  kept 
his  precarious  foothold,  shifting  from  swamp  to 
swamp,  and  from  thicket  to  thicket,  he  had  done  it 
independently  of  the  American  government,  as  well 


I  10  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

as  m  spite  of  the  British.  But  he  was  toe  gooa  pi 
soldier,  and  understood  human  nature  too  well,  not 
to  know  that  there  is  strength  in  a  name  ;  and  he 
found,  in  his  after-experience,  that  the  militia  came 
out  even  more  readily  to  serve  under  General  Ma- 
rion, than  they  did  before  he  held  that  title.  With 
this  authority,  added  to  his  personal  popularity  and 
wonderful  reputation  for  courage,  and,  what  is  a 
more  potent  consideration,  for  success,  he  was  a 
much  more  efficient  officer  after  Governor  Rut- 
ledge's  paper  reached  him  than  before — blank  as 
that  paper  might  have  seemed  in  the  grant  of  what 
the  writer,  himself  not  possessing,  could  not  grant 
to  another. 

After  the  affair  at  Black  Mingo,  the  next  consi- 
derable event  was  the  surprise  and  breaking  up  of  a 
Tory  gathering  on  the  Pedee.  When  Marion 
received  advice  of  the  collection  of  the  Tories,  he 
was  just  preparing  to  resume  the  field,  and  had 
perhaps  already  put  his  men  in  motion.  They 
were  refreshed  and  invigorated  by  the  hospitalities 
and  patriotism  of  the  wealthy  Whigs  in  Waccarnaw, 
and  were  ready  for  adventure,  though  many  of  the 
Brigade  were  absent  by  Marion's  indulgent  custom 
of  granting  furloughs,  before  spoken  of.  Both  from 
his  regular  scouts,  and  from  the  volunteer  informa- 
tion  of  the  patriots,  who  now  considered  Genera, 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  Ill 

Marion's  flag  the  rallying  point  of  the  friends  of 
their  country,  he  was  informed  of  the  fact  that  a 
British  officer  had  arrived  at  a  certain  place  on  the 
Little  Pedee  river,  provided  with  arms,  munitions, 
and  provisions,  to  raise,  organize,  and  equip  a  loyal 
company.  The  first  object  of  this  party  was  to 
seek  Marion,  and  on  this  occasion,  as  on  many 
others,  he  saved  those  who  would  seek  him  the 
trouble  of  a  search,  by  presenting  himself  to  them 
with  more  alacrity  and  promptness  than  they  ex- 
pected or  desired. 

Horry's  account  of  the  arrival  of  the  messenger, 
as  recorded  by  Weems,  is,  like  much  of  that  writer's 
book,  very  animated  and  amusing.  The  boy,  or 
"likely  young  fellow,"  as  he  is  called,  warned  the 
General  that  he  must  keep  a  sharp  look  out;  for 
the  British  recruiting  officer  had  brought  up  a  mat- 
ter of  "two  wagron  loads  of  guns,  great  big-  English 
muskets  —  you  can  turn  your  thumb  in  them  easy 
enough!"  Besides  the  guns,  there  wrere  pistols 
and  bayonets,  and  swords  and  saddles — all  the  et- 
ceteras and  conveniences  of  warfare,  which  the 
brigade  of  Marion  sadly  lacked,  and  which  formed 
the  most  alluring  temptation  that  could  be  held  out 
to  men  who  had  been  glad  to  put  up  with  fowling 
pieces,  and  were  enviably  equipped  when  thej 
could  command  buck-shot. 


112  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

On  the  3venin£  after  receiving  the  intelligent 
Marion  p  at  his  men  in  motion.  They  travelled  at 
a  round  pace  all  night,  and  at  daybreak  were  with- 
in ten  miles  of  the  place  of  rendezvous.  But  to 
move  by  daylight  was  no  part  of  Marion's  policy ; 
so  his  party  took  refuge  and  concealment  in  a  c<  >n- 
venient  swamp,  as  was  their  custom.  Scouts  were 
then  sent  out  to  watch  the  road,  and  gain  intelli- 
gence ;  and  at  night  they  returned,  bringing  news 
of  the  movement  of  many  men,  all  tending  toward 
the  place  of  which  Marion  had  been  notified.  Colo- 
nel Tynes  had  summoned  the  loyal  to  meet  at  that 
point,  and  organize  for  operations  against  the  ene- 
mies of  the  Kingf. 

At  night  the  hardy  soldiers,  invigorated  with 
their  day's  rest  in  the  swamp — a  rest  which  would 
have  been  sad  fatigue  to  soldiers  of  any  other  stamp 
■ — took  to  the  saddle  a^ain.  A  short  ride  brought 
them  in  sight  of  the  encampment  fires;  for  the 
loyal  partisans  seem  never  to  have  learned  the  cau 
tion  and  craftiness  of  the  "rebels."  Marion  was 
never  thus  surprised.  Dismounting,  and  leaving 
their  horses  at  a  safe  distance,  to  avoid  alarm  by 
the  noise  of  their  hoofs,  and  to  act  on  foot  as  the 
character  of  the  spot  best  served,  Marion's  party 
crept  up,  and  to)k  a  hasty,  but  sufficient  survey  of 
the  enemy. 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  113 

With  a  lack  of  caution  which  appears  almost 
increcTble,  they  appear  to  have  neglected  even  to 
post  a  sentinel.  Perhaps  the  force  was  not  yet 
organized;  and  as  they  imagined  Marion  was  sixty 
or  seventy  miles  distant,  and  more  likely  to  retreat 
from  them  than  to  advance,  they  did  not  think  it 
necessary  to  annoy  new  recruits  with  camp  regu- 
lations. Three  fires  were  burning,  at  which  pigs, 
turkeys,  and  corn  bread  were  in  preparation  for  sup- 
per ;  whiskey  had  done,  and  was  doing  its  work, 
fiddlers  were  playing,  and  the  King's  new  levies, 
some  dancing,  some  singing,  and  some  drinking, 
little  recked  the  terrible  interruption  of  their  fes- 
tivity which  was  at  hand. 

Marion  had  with  him  sixty  men.  These  he  has- 
tily divided  into  parties  of  twenty,  one  party  for 
each  fire,  and  at  the  flash  of  his  pistol,  as  the  sig- 
nal, the  whole  sixty  discharged  their  muskets  upon 
the  unsuspecting  revellers.  Awful  was  the  con- 
fusion. The  shrieks  of  the  wounded  as  they  fell, 
the  groans  of  the  dying — the  frightened  shouts  of 
the  fugitives  who  bounded  off  into  the  swamp — the 
neighing  and  plun^ino  of  frightened  and  wounded 

o         o  loo  o 

horses,  and  snapping  of  the  young  trees  and  branches 
as  men  and  horses  forced  their  way — all  conspired 
to  aid  a  scene  of  terror  which  mocks  description. 

H 


114  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

Marion's  men  did  not  wait  to  repeat  their  fire  It 
would  have  been  not  merely  unnecessary,  but  im- 
politic and  cruel.  Instantly  running  up,  the  com- 
mander of  the  party  was  secured  as  a  prisoner,  as 
also  were  some  dozen  men,  whose  surprise  and  con- 
sternation had  not  left  them  self-possession  to  escape. 
The  precise  number  of  killed  and  wounded  is  not 
known.  Weems  says  twenty-three  killed,  and  as 
many  wounded,  but  this  is  probably  an  over-esti- 
mate. The  baggage  and  arms  captured  were  con- 
siderable, and  most  acceptable.  There  were  nearly 
a  hundred  muskets,  with  ammunition ;  and  many 
horses  were  also  secured.  The  vanquished  party 
carried  nothing  away — the  cards,  fiddles,  and  bows 
were  dropped  and  left  upon  the  spot.  It  is  said  that 
some  of  the  unhappy  wretches  were  actually  shot 
with  their  cards  in  their  hands;  and  that  in  one 
case  at  least  the  death-grip  was  not  relaxed,  but  the 
dead  gambler  clung  still  to  his  cards. 

How  terrible  is  war !  The  sight  of  one  violent 
death  in  time  of  peace  would  mar  the  comfort  of 
all  who  beheld  it.  These  men,  inured  to  distress 
and  danger  by  their  profession,  and  necessarily  in- 
different to  human  suffering,  removed  the  dead 
aside ;  took  the  best  care  they  could  of  the  comfort 
of  the  wounded,  for  Marion's  command  included 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  115 

no  surgeon ;  reloaded  the  guns,  and  set  the  senti- 
nels, and  then,  after  their  two  days'  fasting,  sat 
down  and  supped  heartily  upon  the  rude,  but  sub- 
stan lial  viands  which  had  been  prepared  for  their 
foes. 


116  LIFE     OF    MARION. 


CHAPTER  IK. 

Tory  Recruits — Capture  of  Colonel  Tynes — Effects  of  Marion's  ouo 
cess — British  Testimony — Marion's  Mode  of  Punishment — His  great 
Influence — Tarleton  despatched  in  Pursuit — Alarm  by  the  Burning 
of  Dwellings — Narrow  Escape  of  Marion — Tarleton's  Energy — His 
Abandonment  of  the  Pursuit — Result  of  the  Expedition — Sumter's 
Movements — Defeat  of  Wemyss — -Defeat  of  a  Detachment  under 
Tarleton — Wound  of  Sumter. 


pa*r  N  the  affair,  with  the  account  of  which 
the  last  chapter  closes,  by  far  the 
greater  number  of  the  Tory  party 
made  their  escape  to  the  swamp.  It 
may  surprise  the  reader  to  hear  that 
many  of  the  fugitives  afterward  presented 
themselves  to  Marion,  and  were  enrolled  in 
his  brigade.  The  same  thing  was  done  on 
several  other  similar  occasions.  To  understand 
how  this  change  could  take  place,  the  reader  must 
remember  what  has  been  stated  in  a  previous  part 
of  this  book ;  that  the  colonists  were  not  permitted 
to  remain  neutral,  but,  having  accepted  protection, 
were  compelled  to  bear  arms.  Or  if  this  extremity 
of  compulsion  were  not  resorted  to,  the  people  knew 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  117 

that  not  to  take  up  arms  for  the  King  was  to  be 
suspected  of  disaffection  ;  and  to  be  suspected  was, 
in  those  troublous  times,  to  be  proceeded  against. 
Very  few  were  so  situated  that  they  could  remain 
inactive ;  and  many  who  would  gladly  have  borne 
arms  for  their  country,  if  a  force  had  been  present 
to  protect  them,  were  driven,  in  self-defence,  into 
bearing:  arms  against  her.  It  is  related  of  ancient 
generals  that  they  placed  deserters  from  the  enemy 
in  the  posts  where  most  desperate  courage  was  re- 
quired, as  it  was  supposed,  and  justly,  that  men 
who  knew  that  death  awaited  them  if  captured, 
would  sooner  lose  their  lives  in  battle  than  to  be 
made  prisoners  for  ignominious  execution.  Un- 
doubtedly the  same  policy,  though  not  to  so  great 
an  extent,  guided  Marion.  Men  who  had  once 
borne  arms  for  the  King  were  mercilessly  executed, 
if  taken  in  arms  against  him ;  and  our  partisan 
General  could  with  confidence  count  on  the  bravery 
of  soldiers  who  voluntarily  incurred  such  a  danger 
There  was  no  compulsion,  and  no  terror  wTas  used 
to  force  men  into  the  patriot  ranks;  while,  on  the 
other  side,  intimidation  was  a  common  mode  of 
forcing  levies. 

There  appears  to  be  some  confusion  in  the  ac- 
counts of  Marion's  movements  at  this  period 
Weems  makes  Marion  a  nijiht  or  two  alter  attack 


118  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

another  Tory  encampment,  which  was  in  charge 
of  Colonel  Tynes,  and  over  which,  pouncing  up<?n 
the  enemy  at  midnight,  he  obtained  as  complete  a 
victory  as  in  the  other  instance.  Mr.  Simms,  who 
has  carefully  digested  the  different  narratives,  sup- 
poses there  was  but  one  battle.  At  any  rate  Colo- 
nel Tynes  was  made  a  prisoner,  and  his  hopes  of 
Tory  levies  were  blasted.  The  second  attack  is 
represented  to  have  been  made  on  a  post  on  the 
northern  branch  of  the  Black  River. 

The  successes  and  sudden  movements  of  Marion 
very  much  annoyed  the  loyalists ;  and  in  the  same 
degree  elated  the  Whigs.  News  was  also  received 
of  the  approach  of  General  Greene,  with  the  re- 
mains of  Gates's  army,  and  additional  recruits. 
Marion  was  keeping  the  fire  alive  until  his  arrival ; 
and  preserving  rather  more  than  the  mere  show  of 
resistance.  The  conquered  state  would  not  remain 
conquered ;  for  Marion  appeared  everywhere  pre- 
sent, and  gave  large  parties  of  the  Tories  sufficient 
to  do  to  trace  and  pursue  him.  The  singular  and 
almost  anomalous  character  of  his  troops — fighting 
for  love  of  country  only,  without  pay  and  without 
rations — made  them  but  the  more  desperate  enemies 
to  contend  with  They  had  no  military  pride  and 
state  to  support,  anr1,  as  we  have  already  stated, 
when  to  hold  togethe   was  inadvisable,  disappeared 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  119 

at  once  m  swamp  and  thicket,  mocking  pursuit, 
ike  the  ignis  fatuus. 

The  British  officers,  as  sufficiently  appears  from 
their  correspondence,  and  from  their  published  me- 
moirs, were  fully  sensible  of  his  efficiency.  This 
example  started  up  othvr  partisans  in  different  di- 
rections, some  of  which  did  not  hesitate  to  push 
even  to  the  very  gates  of  Charleston.  Chafed  and 
embittered  by  the  cruelties  which  the  loyalists 
visited  upon  them,  and  eager  in  the  hate  which  a 
civil  war  always  engenders,  they  only  needed  ex- 
ample to  induce  them  to  act ;  and  the  adventures 
of  Marion,  exaggerated  no  doubt  in  the  recital,  car- 
ried the  spirit  of  adventure  wherever  they  were  re- 
lated. It  was  a  thing  to  boast  of  to  have  served, 
even  if  on  one  expedition  only,  in  his  company ; 
and  this  feeling  put  in  his  power  a  mode  of  punish- 
ment at  once  easily  applied  and  effective.  Poltroon- 
ery and  other  unworthy  conduct  he  punished  by 
expulsion  from  the  brigade,  causing  notice  thereof 
to  be  posted  in  places  where  it  could  be  read  ;  and 
this  was  the  severest  penalty  that  he  ever  found  it 
necessary  to  inflict.  The  scorn  of  the  true-hearted, 
and  the  public  contempt,  were  punishment  enough 
His  influence  over  his  fellow-citizens  was  im- 
mense ;  and  although  Cornwallis,  judging  others 
by  Ins  own  policy,  chose  to  attribute  this  influence 


120 


LIFE     OF    MARION. 


to  the  terror  of  his  punishments,  and  the  promise 
of  plunder,  all  contemporaneous  accounts  unite  in 
giving  this  assertion  a  contradiction.  He  was  never 
cruel,  and  in  regard  to  plunder  always  spared  pro- 
perty, and  forbore  to  waste  or  burn.  That  he  did 
not  take  provisions  an '  munitions  of  war  from  the 
known  enemies  of  freedom  is  not  pretended  ;  foj 
such  necessaries  were  legitimate  spoil.  The  food 
of  himself  and  men  was  of  a  marvellously  meagre 
description.  There  was  no  riot  or  wassail  among 
them ;  and  the  wonder  is,  that  upon  a  diet  so  mea- 
gre, they  supported  their  fatigues  so  well,  and  exe- 
cuted such  feats  of  activity  and  daring. 

It  became  highly  necessary  that  Mr.  Marion,  as 
the  British  styled  him,  should  be  caught,  or  driven 
out  of  the  state.  Colonel  Tarleton,  who  had  a  high 
reputation  for  activity,  undertook  the  feat ;  but  he 
very  narrowly  escaped  capture  himself,  while  on 
his  way  from  Charleston  to  join  his  legion,  which 
he  had  ordered  to  meet  him  on  the  Wateree.  No- 
thing but  the  celerity  of  his  movements,  in  which 
he  was  nearer  a  match  for  Marion  than  any  other 
officer  in  the  British  service,  saved  him.  Marion 
placed  his  men  in  ambush  at  Nelson's  Ferry,  where 
he  thought  Tarleton  must  cross,  I  ut  unfortunately 
the  Colonel  had  passed  two  day^  before.  When 
Marion  'earned  this  fact,  supposing  that  Tarleton 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  121 

had  still  only  the  small  body  of  horse  with  him 
with  which  he  left  Charleston,  he  pushed  on  in 
pursuit ;  and  might  have  fallen  into  a  bad  predica- 
ment, but  for  the  propensity  in  which  Tarleton 
must  indulge,  of  burning-  houses. 

Marion  had  taken  a  strong  post  in  the  woods, 
unconscious  of  the  proximity  of  Tarleton,  who, 
having  effected  a  junction  with  his  legion,  was  only 
a  few  miles  off,  His  suspicions  were  awakened  by 
two  circumstances.  The  first  was  that  rare  event, 
the  disappearance  of  one  of  his  men,  under  circum- 
stances which  made  it  evident  that  he  had  deserted 
to  the  enemy.  The  other  was  a  bright  light  in  the 
direction  of  the  residence  of  General  Richardson, 
a  well-known  Whig.  Marion  knew  too  well  the 
character  of  the  progress  of  the  enemy  not  to  sus- 
pect what  this  indicated.  His  doubts  were  soon  set 
at  rest  by  the  arrival  of  General  Richardson  at  his 
encampment,  with  the  news  that  Tarleton  was  with 
his  whole  force  at  the  plantation,  and  that  the  fires 
which  Marion  saw  were  from  the  burning  of  the 
buildings. 

Marion's  determination  was  at  once  taken.  He 
moved  off  into  the  swamp,  pursuing  a  path  which 
no  men  but  his  would  have  undertaken  by  night. 
Hardly  was  he  out  of  the  place,  when  Tarleton's 
forces  moved  into  it,  under  the  guidance  of  the 


122  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

deserter.  Sure  of  his  prey,  he  was  deeply  cha- 
grined to  find  the  active  partisan  gone.  Marion 
"was  but  a  few  hours  in  his  new  position  before  he 
changed  again,  and  retreated  some  twenty-five  or 
thirty  miles  farther,  to  Benbow's  Ferry.  This 
position  he  strengthened  by  felling  trees,  and 
placing  other  obstructions ;  and  here,  with  his 
force,  now  numbering  about  five  hundred  men,  he 
waited  Tarleton's  approach. 

That  officer,  with  his  usual  impetuosity,  pushed 
on  to  the  second  place  of  encampment  in  pursuit. 
Again  the  careful  commander,  as  we  have  seen, 
had  eluded  him.  Marion  had  planted  himself  now 
where  the  advantages  of  his  position  compensated 
for  the  superiority  of  the  enemy's  force ;  and  nothing 
could  have  suited  our  hero  better  than  the  approach 
of  Tarleton.  But  that  officer,  having  marched 
twenty-five  miles,  now  found  a  dismal  swamp  before 
him,  and  Marion  still  ten  miles  distant.  It  is  said 
that  at  the  sight  of  Ox  Swamp,  as  it  was  called,  he 
gave  up,  discouraged.  His  men  and  horses  were 
wearied ;  the  ground  before  him  was  such  as  he 
knew  Marion's  men  were  at  home  in,  and  the  whole 
prospect  was  too  ambiguous.  "  Come,  boys,"  he 
said,  "  we  '11  go  back.  We  can  soon  find  the  game 
cock — but  as  for  this  swamp  fox,  there  is  no  catching 
him."     By  the  game  cock  he  meant  Sumter;  anr 


i  fi'ii'M hi 

ifui  IV 


LIFE    OP    MARION.  123 

From  this  speech  of  Tarleton's  the  two  partisans 
were  respectively  honoured  by  their  followers  with 
the  above  titles. 

The  result  of  this  expedition  very  much  cha- 
grined Colonel  Tarleton,  while  to  Marion  it  was 
almost  as  good  as  a  victory,  and  produced  a  greater 
effect  in  his  favour  than  even  his  famous  surprises 
of  parties  of  the  enemy.  Tarleton  had  been 
regarded  as  almost  invincible.  Every  thing  he 
had  undertaken  had  produced  some  result;  inso- 
much that  his  pursuit  was  considered  as  almost 
inevitable  capture.  But  Marion  had  proved  too 
wily  for  him ;  and  without  the  loss  of  a  mar.  had 
shown  that  even  Colonel  Tarleton  could  be  foiled. 
The  circumstance  that  the  Americans,  when  they 
might  have  crossed  the  Black  River,  and  effectually 
eluded  pursuit,  waited  on  the  same  side  of  it  for  an 
enemy  who  did  not  advance,  lost  nothing  in  the 
narration.  Tarleton  in  his  memoirs  labours  hard 
to  make  it  appear  that  Marion's  retreat  was  a  flight 
of  pure  fear,  and  that  his  pursuer  abandoned  the 
chase  only  because  he  was  recalled  by  Lord  Corn- 
eal lis.  But  the  utmost  that  can  be  fairly  admitted 
is  that  Tarleton  readily  improved  a  pretext  to  aban- 
don the  chase,  of  which  he  would  not  have  been  in 
such  haste  to  avail  himself  if  he  had  not  been  com- 
pletely foiled  by  Mr.  Marion.     Certain  it  seems 


124  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

Vhat  if  he  had  pushed  on  to  the  position  of  Manor 
the  result  would  have  been  anything  but  triumph- 
ant for  the  British  arms;  and  the  sharp-shooters 
of  the  brigade  would  have  given  the  wearied  loy- 
alists such  a  reception  as  it  was  well  judged  in 
Tarleton  not  to  risk. 

Quitting  the  swamp  fox  to  pursue  the  game  cock, 
Tarleton  met  with  little  better  success  in  that  quar- 
ter. Sumter  had  reappeared  in  arms;  and  as  he 
was  scarcely  less  troublesome  than  Marion,  Corn- 
wallis  despatched  Tarleton  to  pursue  him.  Gene- 
ral Sumter,  with  a  mocking  courage,  had  advanced 
within  twenty-eight  miles  of  the  encampment  of 
Cornwallis,  at  Winnsboro'.  Colonel  Wemyss  was 
despatched  by  the  British  commander-in-chief  to 
surprise  Sumter;  but  Sumter  surprised  Cornwallis 
by  defeating  the  attacking  force,  and  severely 
wounding  and  capturing  Wemyss.  Then  Tarleton 
was  ordered  after  the  partisan  with  a  large  force, 
and  in  the  sure  expectation  of  defeating  him.  The 
American  General  saw  no  propriety  in  waiting  to 
be  overwhelmed  by  a  heavier  force  than  his  own, 
and  retreated.  Tarleton,  who  with  all  his  impetu- 
osity and  courage  lacked  judgment,  pushed  after 
him  with  four  hundred  mounted  men,  thinking  he 
had  nothing  to  do  but  to  overtake  a  fugitive.  But 
when  Sumter,  who  did  not  run  without  knowing 


LIFE     OF    MARION.  125 

from  what  he  ran,  perceived  that  Tarleton  was  pur 
suing  him  with  a  detachment  only,  he  halted  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tyger  River,  and  received  him  with 
such  a  destructive  and  rapid  fire  that  a  total  defeat 
of  the  British  party  occurred  Tarleton  lost  a  hun- 
dred killed,  and  had  twice  as  many  wounded.  The 
Americans,  with  a  disparity  which  seems  hardly 
credible,  had  only  six,  killed  and  wounded.  But 
among  the  wounded,  and  very  severely  too,  was 
General  Sumter.  His  men  made  a  conveyance  of 
a  bullock's  hide,  suspended  between  two  horses, 
and  in  this  way,  guarded  by  a  hundred  devoted 
followers,  he  was  carried  over  the  line  to  North 
Carolina ;  where  for  a  long  time  he  rested,  incapa- 
ble of  service.  But  the  blow  he  had  given  the  ter- 
rible Tarleton,  hitherto  unconquered,  was  a  most 
important  event,  and  the  opening  of  better  and 
brighter  prospects. 


126 


LIFE     OF    MARION, 


CHAPTER  X. 


British  Reinforcements  from  New  York  sent  to  the  South—  Frustratiji 
of  the  Enemy's  Plans — Pursuit  of  Major  Ferguson  by  the  Americano 
— Battle  of  King's  Mountain — Total  Defeat  of  the  Tories — Cornwallia 
falls  back  to  Winnsboro  —  Leslie  ordered  to  Charleston  by  Sea  — 
Chain  of  British  Posts — Marion's  Movements— Incidents  near  George- 
town— The  Whig  Lady's  Artifice — Defeat  of  Melton — Murder  of 
Marion's  Nephew — Affair  with  Colonel  Gainey — Unhappy  Character 
of  the  Contest. 


OLONEL  TARLETON  found  it 
politic  and  convenient  to  denominate 
the  severe  check  which  he  had  re- 
ceived from  Sumter  a  victory.  Con- 
gress was,  however,  so  well  satisfied  with 
the  character  of  this  victory  that  it  wTas 
made  the  subject  of  a  resolution  of  thanks 
to  General  Sumter  and  his  command.  The 
severe  wound  of  their  leader  indeed  induced  the 
militia  under  Sumter  to  disperse;  but  he  kept  pos- 
session of  the  ground  long  enough  for  Tarleton  to 
have  followed  up  the  victory,  had  he  been  so  dis- 
posed. 


LIFE     OP     MARION.  127 

The  pertinacious  and  hardy  course  of  Marion, 
and  of  other  partisan  leaders,  caused  a  defeat  of  the 
British  plan  of  the  campaign.  After  the  defeat  of 
Gates,  it  was  thought  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  that 
of  course  no  serious  opposition  could  be  made  to 
Cornwallis  in  the  Carolinas.  South  Carolina  was 
regarded  as  a  conquered  state,  and  North  Carolina 
as  in  nearly  the  same  position.  Sir  Henry  despatched 
a  body  of  troops,  about  three  thousand  in  number, 
to  the  South,  to  complete  and  extend  the  conquest. 
These  troops  wTere  to  take  possession  of  the  South- 
ern part  of  Virginia,  and  thus  add  to  what  was 
deemed  the  conquered  area ;  and  no  doubt  was 
entertained  that  an  easy  junction  would  be  effected 
between  General  Leslie,  with  his  reinforcement, 
and  Lord  Cornwallis. 

But,  during  the  progress  of  events  which  we 
have  been  describing  in  South  Carolina,  there  had 
been  warm  work  in  the  North  state.  British  and 
Tory  messengers  had  been  sent  there,  urging  the 
loyalists  to  take  up  arms  and  declare  their  alle- 
giance; and  Major  Ferguson  embodied  a  large 
party  of  loyalists  in  the  western  part  of  North 
Carolina.  After  his  force  was  organized,  he  delayed 
his  march  to  meet  Cornwallis,  who  was  advancing 
toward  North  Carolina.  His  delay  was  intended 
to  intercept  a  company  of  Whigs,  which  had  been 


128  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

raised  by  Colonel  Clarke  ;  but  far  from  intercepting 
or  checking  any  movement  of  the  Americans,  it 
resulted  in  a  final  and  most  conclusive  check  to 
Major  Ferguson  and  his  command. 

Several  companies  of  Whig  volunteers  combined, 
?nd  new  accessions  were  daily  made  to  them.  The 
whole  were  under  command  of  Colonel  Campoell 
ol  Virginia,  who  was  appointed  by  General  Gates, 
at  the  request  of  the  volunteers ;  and  Major  Fer- 
guson found,  in  view  of  these  formidable  demon- 
strations, that  it  became  highly  necessary  for  him 
to  retreat  toward  the  south.  This  he  did  with  no 
inconsiderable  degree  oi  expedition ;  but  he  was  as 
sharply  pursued.  Nine  hundred  picked  men  were 
detached  from  the  American  army  to  follow  him ; 
and  as  he  found  he  must  inevitably  be  overtaken, 
he  chose  a  strong  position  on  King's  Mountain,  and 
awaited  the  attack.  He  had  sent  several  messen- 
gers to  apprise  Lord  Cornwallis  of  his  danger ;  but 
in  every  case  they  were  intercepted. 

When  the  Americans  came  up,  they  immediately 
rushed  to  the  assault  with  great  impetuosity.  The 
action  lasted  about  an  hour,  becoming  general  in 
about  five  minutes  from  the  time  of  its  commence- 
ment. The  assailants  received  several  repulses, 
made  by  the  British  forces  with  the  courage  of 
desperation ;  but  while  Ferguson  was  driving  back 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  129 

one  corps  of  his  assailants  with  tlie  bayonet,  the 
o-allin"-  lire  of  the  rest  called  off  his  attention.    The 

■"7  o 

fiercely  contested  struggle  ended  with  the  death  of 
the  British  commander,  who  died  instantly  of  his 
wound ;  and  the  courage  of  his  soldiers  gave  way 
with  the  death  of  their  gallant  chief.  They  demanded 
quarter,  and  eight  hundred  and  ten  surrendered,  of 
whom  one  hundred  were  British  troops.  One  hun- 
dred and  fifty  of  the  loyalist  party  were  killed  upon 
the  field,  and  about  as  many  wounded — and  fifteen 
hundred  stand  of  arms  were  taken.  The  loss  of  the 
Americans  was  inconsiderable,  as  they  fought  under 
cover  of  trees,  wherever  possible ;  but  among  the 
killed  was  Colonel  Williams  of  South  Carolina. 

We  are  sorry  to  state  that  at  the  conclusion  of 
this  engagement  ten  of  the  most  active  of  the  loy- 
alists were  selected  from  among  the  prisoners,  and 
hanged  upon  the  spot.  This  was  done  in  retalia- 
tion for  the  executions  which  Cornwallis  ordered, 
after  the  battle  of  Camden ;  and  much  as  we  must 
deplore  such  an  occurrence,  we  cannot  be  surprised 
at  it.  It  was  a  means  of  checking  such  executions 
by  the  enemy,  which  finds  precedents  in  all  war- 
fare. The  cruelty  of  one  party  causes  the  other 
to  be  inhuman,  and  innocent  prisoners  are  usually 
made  to  suffer,  in  retaliation  for  the  treatment  which 
others  receive  in  a  similar  situation. 

i 


130  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

The  suddenly  mustered  volunteers  who  had  as* 
sembled  to  attack  Ferguson,  having  more  completely 
accomplished  the  object  of  their  rally  than-  theil 
most  sanguine  expectations  led  them  to  hope,  dis- 
persed and  returned  to  their  homes.  This  very 
circumstance  made  the  posture  of  things  seem  more 
formidable  to  Cornwallis.  If  it  had  been  an  army 
raised  to  be  kept  in  the  field  which  had  performed 
this  feat,  there  would  have  been  hope  that  its  de- 
struction would  ultimately  have  broken  the  strength 
of  the  Whigs,  and  prevented  the  rallying  of  anothel 
force.  But  when  men  started  from  their  plantations, 
apparently  by  a  common  and  simultaneous  impulse 
■ — demolished  a  hostile  party,  and  then  returned  to 
their  homes,  ready  to  rise  again  when  another  occa- 
sion for  action  presented  itself — the  case  was  much 
more  serious.  Such  an  enemy  can  never  be  found, 
except  when  its  own  choice  brings  it  into  the  field ; 
and  when  men  thus  rise,  it  is  usually  to  victory : 
choosing  their  own  time,  they  have,  so  to  speak,  the 
war  in  their  own  hands. 

Cornwallis  fell  back  to  Winnsboro,  where  in  the 
last  chapter  we  spoke  of  his  position.  The  troops 
sent  from  New  York  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  had 
overrun  and  taken  possession  of  some  of  the  Vir- 
ginia counties  on  the  James  River,  but  were  at  this 
time  quartered  in  Portsmouth ;  which  place  Gene- 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  131 

ra!  Leslie  had  begun  to  fortify,  when  he  received 
orders  from  Lord  Cornwallis  to  proceed  to  Charles- 
ton by  sea.  The  North  Carolina  experience  of  the 
loyalists,  and  the  necessity  which  Leslie  had  dis- 
covered for  making  himself  snug  in  Portsmouth, 
had  changed  the  estimate  of  "conquered  country" 
on  which  the  movements  of  Leslie  had  been  ori- 
ginally planned.  And  at  Winnsboro  Cornwallis 
was  compelled  to  be  content  to  wait  for  the  arrival 
of  reinforcements.  Meanwhile,  as  related  in  the 
chapter  preceding,  Marion  was  found  so  trouble- 
some, that  Tarleton  was  despatched  on  his  ineffec- 
tual mission  to  take  him  ;  and  Sumter  was  so  auda- 
cious as  to  sit  down  almost  within  arun-shot  of 
Cornwallis  himself,  and  to  defeat  the  parties  sent 
to  take  him. 

The  British  posts  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia 
were  judiciously  chosen,  both  for  the  purposes  of 
arming  and  defending  the  Tories  and  obtaining 
subsistence.  The  principal  points  held  by  the 
British  were  :  Georgetown,  Camden,  Winnsboro, 
Ninety-Six,  and  Augusta;  and  within  this  chain 
or  circle  several  others,  on  the  routes  from  one  to 
another  of  the  main  posts.  Marion  by  his  scouts 
and  spies  was  aware  of  the  movements  and  inten- 
tions of  the  enemy;  and  it  can  hardly  be  considered 
a  mere  figure  of  speech  to  say  that  the  British  were 


(32  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

practically  prisoners  at  these  several  points.  They 
could  not  move  between  them,  except  with  a  heavy 
force,  without  the  danger  of  being  pounced  upon 
by  parties  of  the  quick-moving  partisans ;  and  even 
when  large  bodies  marched  they  were  not  secure 
frcm  sudden  onsets,  by  parties  who  did  not  wait  to 
receive  any  return.  Prisoners  and  baggage  were 
suddenly  snatched  away ;  and  the  very  guns  of  the 
posts  offered  no  intimidation  to  the  daring  assailants. 
One  of  the  posts  which  we  have  mentioned, 
Georgetown,  Marion  resolved  to  surprise,  and  made 
his  dispositions  accordingly.  He  advanced  with 
caution  and  secrecy  to  a  swamp  within  two  miles 
of  Georgetown,  where  he  concealed  the  main  body 
of  his  troops,  and  sent  two  parties  under  Major 
Horry  and  Captain  Melton  to  reconnoitre.  Horry's 
party,  while  in  ambush  at  the  side  of  the  road,  saw 
two  mounted  officers  accompanying  two  ladies  in  a 
chaise.  These  they  did  not  deem  it  worth  while 
to  molest ;  both  because  it  would  create  an  alarm, 
with  small  advantage  if  any,  and  because  it  would 
unnecessarily  expose  the  women.  As  the  George- 
town gallants  approached  the  woods,  the  ladies 
became  alarmed,  and  decided  to  proceed  to  a  friend's 
house  near ;  while  the  officers  returned  to  George- 
town. Horry  and  his  men,  unaware  of  the  mes- 
sage upon  which  the  officers  returned,  which  was 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  133 

to  procure  an  escoT  t,  repaired  also  to  the  house  of  a 
well-known  Whig,  to  procure  refreshment. 

Not  a  little  to  their  surprise,  when  the  partisans 
reached  the  house,  they  found  the  two  ladies  there 
who  had  passed  them  upon  the  road;  and  these 
ladies  immediately  commenced  beseeching  them  to 
go  away,  assuring  them  that  the  family  was  poor ; 
and  begging,  as  the  master  of  it  was  absent,  they 
would  not  affright  women.  The  lady  of  the  house 
said  not  a  word  while  all  this  was  going  on,  but 
managed  to  procure  an  instant's  interview  with 
Horry.  Her  position  was  indeed  difficult.  If  she 
entertained  the  party,  she  would  run  the  risk  of 
having  the  house  burned  down  by  the  British.  She 
apprised  Horry  that  the  officers  had  returned  to 
town  for  an  escort;  and  begged  him  to  threaten 
violence,  and  storm  in  such  a  way  that  it  would 
appear  he  robbed  the  house  and  barn  of  refresh- 
ments, to  which  she  assured  him  he  was  heartily 
welcome.  The  stranger  ladies  were  loyalists,  from 
Georgetown ;  and  "  such  was  the  farce,"  Horry 
remarks,  "  which  the  Whigs  in  those  days,  both 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  were  obliged  to  play  when  they 
had  any  of  their  Tory  acquaintances  about  them.'' 

Hardly  had  man  and  horse  eaten  of  tne  food  pro- 
cured by  this  pretended  robbery,  when  Horry's 
sentinels  gave  the  alarm    The  men  instantly  sprung 


134  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

to  their  saddles.  The  escort  for  which  the  officers 
had  been  to  Georgetown  had  arrived,  and,  being 
unsuspicious  of  any  foe,  were  completely  taken  bv 
surprise  as  Marion's  men  dashed  out  to  meet  them 
The  British  instantly  wheeled,  and  fled.  They 
were  seventeen  in  number,  and  well  mounted ;  and 
were  commanded  by  an  officer  named  Merritt,  who 
was  a  prodigy  of  address  and  valour.  As  the  Brit- 
ish rode  off,  the  American  party  dashed  after  them; 
and  of  the  whole  party  it  is  said  only  two  escaped, 
Captain  Merritt  and  a  serjeant.  All  were  killed  or 
made  prisoners.  Captain  Merritt  beat  off  three 
assailants,  two  of  whom  he  engaged  at  once,  being 
a  most  dexterous  swordsman;  and  he  finally  escaped 
by  suddenly  abandoning  his  horse,  and  shooting*  off 
at  right  angles  into  a  swamp.  It  was  a  subject  of 
great  pleasure  to  Horry,  some  years  afterward,  that 
this  officer  escaped.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  Horry 
met  Captain  Merritt  in  New  York, — was  recog- 
nized by  him,  and  dined  at  his  house.  After  the 
first  ceremonies  of  introduction  were  over,  Merritt 
recalled  this  skirmish,  and  asked  Horry  if  he  were 
not  in  it.  On  being  answered  in  the  affirmative, 
he  again  enquired  of  Horry  if  he  did  not  remember 
how  handsomely  one  of  the  British  officers  gave 
him  the  slip  that  day.  On  being  answered  in  tho 
affirmative,  he  continued:  "Well,  I  was  that  officer; 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  135 

and  of  all  the  frights  1  ever  had  in  my  life,  that 
was  the  most  complete.  Will  you  believe  me,  sir, 
when  I  assure  you  that  I  went  out  that  morning 
with  my  locks  of  as  bright  an  auburn  as  ever  curled 
upon  the  forehead  of  youth ;  and  by  the  time  I  had 
crawled  out  of  the  swamp  into  Georgetown,  that 
night,  they  were  as  grey  as  a  badger !  I  was  well 
nigh  taking  an  oath  never  to  forgive  you,  during 
breath,  for  frightening  me  so  confoundedly.  But 
away  with  all  malice !  You  must  go  dine  with  me, 
and  I  '11  show  you  a  lovelier  woman  than  either  of 
those  that  rode  in  the  chaise  that  day.".*, 

Captain  Melton,  who  was  sent  at  the  same  time 
*with  Horry  to  reconnoitre,  fell  in  with  a  party  of 
loyalists  much  superior  in  numbers  to  his  own, 
and  after  a  short  and  sharp  action  was  compelled  to 
retreat.  In  Captain  Melton's  party  was  Gabriel 
Marion,  a  nephew  of  our  hero,  who  had  volun- 
teered. His  horse  being  shot  under  him,  he  fell  a 
prisoner  into  the  hands  of  the  Tories.  He  was 
recognized,  and  with  several  other  prisoners  massa- 
cred in  cold  blood.  One  of  the  loyalists  strove  hard 
to  save  him,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  spirit  of  vin- 
dictive cruelty  was  now  increasing  upon  both  sides; 
and  the  fact  that  Gabriel  was  beloved  by  his  uncle 
wouiil  have  been  sufficient  cause  for  his  butchery, 


136  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

even  though  he  had  not  distinguished  himself  as  a 
gallant  and  active  Whig. 

On  the  next  day  Major  Horry  had  another  brush 
with  a  Tory  party.  Horry  surprised  the  enemy 
while  yet,  from  some  reason,  they  had  not  formed ; 
and  upon  the  charge  of  the  Whigs  they  dispersed 
The  Major,  probably  from  the  character  of  his 
horsemanship,  was  left  behind  with  a  lad  named 
Gwinn,  while  his  party  pursued  the  fugitives.  A 
patrol  of  nine  mounted  loyalists  at  this  instant  pre- 
sented themselves ;  and  while  Horry  challenged 
them,  the  boy  Gwinn  shot  their  leader,  who  had 
already  raised  his  musket  to  fire ;  and  as  the  Tory 
fell,  the  charge  from  his  piece  killed  Horry's  horse.*' 
Gwinn  immediately  dismounted,  and  gave  Majoi 
Horry  his  horse ;  and  at  that  instant  a  party  of 
Whigs,  hearing  the  firing,  dashed  up  in  season  tc 
save  their  com  maud er,  and  to  rescue  four  prisoners 
from  the  hands  of  the  loyalists. 

In  this  day's  skirmishing  a  little  affair  occurred 
which  much  mortified  Colonel  Gainey,  a  Tory  of 
some  repute,  and  his  friends.  Gainey  was  con- 
sidered an  exceedingly  able  commander,  and  Ma- 
rion's men  had  often  heard  of  him  from  their  Tory 
prisoners.  It  chanced  that  he  was  in  command  of 
the  very  party  of  the  dispersion  of  which  we  have 
just  spoken      Sergeant  Macdonald,  without  know 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  137 

mg  his  name,  selected  him,  as  a  fine-looking  fellow, 
and  nobly  mounted,  as  the  object  of  his  particular 
pursuit.  Indeed  it  was  his  horse  that  the  Sergeant, 
who  appeared  to  have  a  great  deal  of  taste  that  way, 
particularly  coveted.  It  was  a  hard  pull,  for  Gain- 
ey's  horse  was  an  even  match  for  Macdonald's.  At 
last  the  latter  drew  near  enough  to  get  a  blow  at 
Gainey  with  his  bayonet.  It  so  happened  that  the 
bayonet  became  detached  from  the  gun ;  and  though 
Gainey  escaped  into  Georgetown,  he  did  it  with 
Macdonald's  bayonet  sticking  in  his  back ! 

During  the  time  that  Marion  was  hanging:  about 
the  skirts  of  the  British  at  Georgetown,  a  mad 
adventure  took  place,  which  showed  that  the  bravest 
of  Marion's  men  needed  the  sagacity  and  prudence 
of  their  leader  to  direct  their  wild  courage  to  a  £ood 
purpose.  Macdonald,  with  four  or  five  others,  being 
sent  to  reconnoitre  the  lines,  the  young  mad-caps, 
having  encountered  the  bottle  enemy  +ook  it  into 
their  heads  to  attack  Georgetown  —  and  actually 
dashed  into  that  place,  huzzaing  and  shouting,  as 
if  they  had  an  army  behind  them.  They  were 
able  to  sweep  through  the  street,  and  actually  to 
make  good  their  escape  before  the  British  perceived 
the  trick  which  had  been  put  upon  them ;  a  fool- 
hardy adventure,  of  no  possible  utility,  except  to 
show  what  the  advice  of  whiskey  is  really  worth. 


138  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

To  return  to  the  order  of  our  narrative.  The  iad 
Gwinn  was  presented  by  Marion  with  the  horse 
and  equipments  of  the  English  officer,  whose  death, 
by  his  musket,  had  saved  the  life  of  Major  Horry. 
Gwinn  remained  with  Marion  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  distinguished  Himself  by  many  acts  of 
address  and  courage. 

We  are  pained  to  say  that  one  of  the  late  prison 
ers  was  shot  in  the  night  by  one  of  Marion's  men. 
This  prisoner,  whether  justly  or  not,  was  charged 
with  being  the  murderer  of  Gabriel  Marion ;  and 
summary  revenge  was  thus  taken.  This  event  gave 
Marion  great  pain,  and  he  severely  reprimanded 
the  officer  of  the  guard,  because  he  did  not  shoot 
the  murderer  of  the  prisoner  in  his  charge  upon 
the  spot.  The  contest  now  assumed  a  terrible  and 
sanguinary  character;  for  violence  and  murder, 
once  segun,  is  not  easily  stayed. 


LIFE    OF     MARION. 


139 


CHAPTER  XL 


The  Camp  at  Snow's  Island — Its  Defences — Sanguinary  Warfare — 
Difficulties  of  Marion's  Command — The  Plunder  of  Croft's  House- 
Marion's  Proceeding's  against  the  Offenders — Incipient  Mutiny — Con- 
tumacy of  the  Culprits — Suppression  of  the  Mutiny — Expulsion  and 
Outlawry  of  the  Ringleaders — The  Potato  Dinner. 


HE  encounters  with  parties  of  the 
enemy,  which  we  noticed  in  the 
chapter  preceding,  defeated  the  pur- 
pose for  which  Marion  had  ap- 
proached Georgetown.  His  object  had  been 
to  surprise  that  place.  The  occupation  of  it 
by  the  British  was  a  serious  disadvantage  to 
him ;  but  he  was  too  wise  to  risk  his  men  in 
an  open  and  regular  attack  —  success  in  which 
would  scarcely  have  compensated  for  the  inevitable 
effusion  of  blood.  He  therefore  abandoned  the 
purpose  for  the  present;  and  retiring  to  Snow's 
Island,  at  the  confluence  of  Lynch's  Creek  and  the 
Pedee,  fortified  himself  in  a  more  permanent  en- 
campment than  he  had  hitherto  found  it  expedient 


140  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

to  occupy.  The  date  of  his  encampment  was  about 
,he  opening  of  the  year  1781.  General  Greene 
vvas  in  the  field,  and  the  patriots  were  encouraged 
by  the  hope  of  a  respectable  and  organized  army. 
Marion  trusted  now  that  the  desultory  warfare,  by 
which  he  had  so  adroitly  kept  up  the  spirit  of  re- 
sistance, was  to  be  succeeded  by  military  operations 
of  a  more  imposing  and  permanently  efficient  cha- 
racter. The  whole  country  appeared  to  partake  of 
his  confidence;  and  notwithstanding  that  his  en- 
campment was  situated  in  a  district  in  which  the 
Tories  were  numerous,  reinforcements  and  recruits 
daily  reached  him. 

His  encampment  was  approachable  only  by 
friends.  The  island,  which  when  reached  was 
spacious  and  well  wooded,  was  in  its  eligible  sites 
for  culture  planted  with  Indian-corn.  It  abounded 
also  in  live  stock  and  provisions.  Marion  first 
secured  all  the  boats  in  the  vicinity;  and  reserving 
a  few  that  he  needed,  destroyed  the  rest.  The 
bridges  of  course  he  broke  up ;  for  Marion's  brigade 
needed  no  such  assistance  to  cross  a  river ;  and  the 
approaches  to  the  banks  he  obstructed,  by  felling 
trees  across  the  ordinary  paths.  He  declared  the 
country  under  martial  law,  and  issued  orders  to  his 
officers  to  seize  all  ammunition  and  horses  for  the 
use  of  the  army ;  to  prevent  the  transportation  of 


LIFE     OP    MARION.  141 

stoi3&  and  comfort  to  the  British  posts,  and  to  hold 
ail  men  as  enemies  who  supplied  the  British  with 
provisions. 

Parties  were  continually  issuing  from  the  encamp- 
ment to  scour  the  country,  which  was  thus  held 
under  the  strictest  watch.  With  the  increasing 
strength  of  Marion,  and  his  growing  command  over 
the  tract  of  country  in  which  he  was  posted,  the 
sanguinary  folly  of  the  Tories  increased.  Prison- 
ers were  massacred  without  mercy  ;  and  among 
other  instances  recorded  is  the  murder  of  a  com- 
pany of  Whigs,  under  Lieutenant  P».oger  Gordon, 
who  surrendered  to  a  party  of  Tories  under  Captain 
Butler.  Finding  themselves  surprised,  they  sub- 
mitted on  terms ;  notwithstanding  which  stipula- 
tion, as  soon  as  they  laid  down  their  arms  they  were 
killed  upon  the  spot.  The  evil  commencement  of 
Cornwallis  at  Camdenfand  the  other  atrocities  of 
the  British  and  Tory  commanders,  in  disposing 
of  their  prisoners  as  rebels,  liable  to  execution  for 
treason,  had  caused  such  a  feeling  of  murderous 
exasperation,  that  prisoners  ceased  to  be  taken. 
':  Tarleton's  Quarters,"  had  now  become  the  fearful 
cry  ;  and  the  only  hope  for  the  vanquished,  whether 
Whig  or  Tory,  was  escape  to  the  swamps. 

This  cruelty  was  in  every  possible  way  discou- 
raged by  Marion  and  his  officers.     Marion,  as  we 


142  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

have  seen,  expressed  his  strong  disapprobation  of 
the  murder  of  the  man  who  was  suspected  or 
accused  of  the  assassination  of  his  nephew,  Gabriel. 
But  volunteers  who  were  induced  to  take  up  arms 
by  a  desire  to  avenge  the  personal  wrongs  and 
injuries  they  had  suffered ;  men  who  had  perhaps 
lost  a  son,  a  brother,  or  a  parent  by  the  cruelty  of 
the  marauding  Tory  parties;  whose  houses  had 
been  burned,  and  whose  property  devastated,  were 
not  disposed  to  listen  to  any  plea  for  humanity,  or 
to  forego  the  opportunity  to  revenge  themselves. 
The  war  had  now  lasted  nearly  five  years ;  and  in 
the  peculiarly  unfortunate  condition  of  Carolina,  a 
fearful  accumulation  of  hate  had  arisen  between  the 
Whigs  and  Tories.  Order  and  government  were 
necessarily  set  aside.  The  rights  of  individuals, 
and  the  guarantees  of  property,  were  forgotten. 
Even  the  rules  of  warfare,  which  are  usually  al- 
lowed among  civilized  nations  to  temper  the  evils 
of  a  state  of  hostility,  were  disregarded ;  and  the 
contest  became  one  in  which  bitter  animosity  stop- 
ped short  of  no  method  of  inflicting  injury;  and 
ncsitated  at  no  barbarity. 

Marion's  command,  always  difficult,  became 
under  these  circumstances  more  onerous  than  ever- 
It  was  extremely  hard  to  control  the  volunteers 
under  such  circumstances,   and  brought  together 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  143 

oy  such  motives.  A  rash  or  intemperate  man 
would  have  lost  all  influence  and  command  over 
troops  of  such  a  character ;  and  Marion  had  many 
opportunities  for  the  exercise  of  his  peculiar  talents 
as  an  officer.  There  were  not  wanting  men  even 
in  his  brigade  who  sought  pretext  and  oppor- 
tunity to  raise  the  standard  of  mutiny;  and  in  his 
situation  it  became  exceedingly  difficult  to  risk  an 
authority,  which,  once  disputed  or  defied,  would  be 
lost  for  ever. 

A  crisis  at  length  occurred.  Mr.  George  Croft, 
a  wealthy  Whig,  who  had  often  befriended  the 
patriot  army  by  supplies,  intelligence,  and  in  every 
other  mode  which  he  could,  without  openly  com- 
mitting himself,  being  an  invalid,  was  compelled  to 
leave  his  plantation  and  repair  to  Georgetown  foi 
the  benefit  of  medical  advice.  Marion  placed  a 
sentinel  at  his  house,  to  prevent  its  being  pillaged  ; 
trusting  that  a  single  man  would  be  sufficient,  with 
his  general's  word  as  a  warrant,  to  prevent  any  dis- 
turbance of  the  property  of  the  absentee.  Two 
of  the  officers  of  the  brigade,  however,  one  of  them 
a  major,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  the  senti 
nel,  entered  the  house  and  rifled  it;  and  one  of 
them,  as  if  in  defiance,  wore  Mr.  Croft's  sword,  of 
which  he  had  thus  possessed  himself.     The  facts 


144  LIFE     OF    MARION 

were  communicated  to  Major  Horry  by  Mrs.  Croft, 
and  by  him  to  General  Marion. 

Marion  instantly  despatched  Major  Horrv  to  the 
principal  offender,  with  a  request  that  be  would  at 
once  send  to  him  the  sword  of  Mr.  Croft.  The  aid 
soon  returned  with  an  insolent  message.  The  cul- 
prit declared  that  he  had  no  sword  of  Mr.  Croft's 
— that  it  was  his  own,  taken  in  war;  and  that  if 
Marion  wished  for  it,  he  must  come  for  it  himself. 
Marion  desired  Horry  to  go  back  and  repeat  the 
demand ;  but  that  officer  entreated  to  be  soared  a 
second  errand  of  the  kind,  as  he  feared  that  the 
insolence  of  the  other  would  provoke  him  to  vio- 
lence. The  mutineer — for  a  mutiny  the  affair  had 
now  become — was  at  the  head  of  a  body  of  troops 
known  as  the  Georgia  Refugees:  and  it  now  seemed 
evident  that  he  counted  upon  their  support,  in  re- 
sisting the  orders  of  his  superior  officer.  The  intel- 
ligence of  what  was  going  forward  soon  drew 
Marion's  officers  about  him ;  for  the  posture  of 
things  was  painfully  critical. 

A  messenger  was  now  despatched  to  the  muti- 
neei,  requesting  him  to  report  himself  at  head-quar- 
ters ;  and  he  came,  accompanied  by  the  other  officer 
who  had  participated  in  this  offence.  Marion  re- 
reived  them  with  firmness;  and  recapitulated,  for 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  145 

the  information  of  those  present,  the  circumstances 
of  the  case.  He  stated  the  services  and  comfort 
which  Croft  had  rendered  the  patriots;  and  said 
that  he  had  debated  with  himself  as  to  whether  it 
could  be  necessary  to  put  a  guard  over  the  house 
yf  such  a  man,  to  defend  it  from  those  whom  he 
had  befriended.  The  mutineer  replied  that  "  Croft 
was  a  Tory,  and  was  even  then  with  the  enemy  in 
Georgetown."  Marion  answered  with  a  civil,  but 
peremptory  request,  that  the  sword  should  be  deli- 
vered to  him ;  and  the  other,  with  an  insolent  oath, 
declared  he  would  not  surrender  it. 

Marion's  officers  looked  at  each  other,  and  at 
the  General.  They  stood  ready,  at  a  word  or  a  nod, 
to  seize  upon  the  culprits.  Each  had  his  hand 
upon  his  sword.  Horry,  who  had  been  stung  with 
the  previous  insolence  of  the  offenders,  could  not 
contain  himself,  but  exclaimed,  with  an  oath,  that 
if  he  had  command  of  the  brigade  those  two  fellows 
should  be  hung  in  five  minutes.  Marion  rather 
sharply  checked  his  friend :  "  This  is  no  business 
of  yours,  sir; — they  are  both  before  me  !"  He  then 
repeated  his  recpiest  for  the  sword ;  perhaps  from  a 
wish  to  gain  time;  and  perhaps  from  a  wish  to  give 
the  offenders  still  a  loop-hole  of  escape.  The  fact 
that  Croft  was  in  Georgetown,  and  that  he  had 
taken  no  open  part  in  behalf  of  the  patriots,  gave 

K 


146  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

some  colour  of  defence  to  the  mutineers.  But,  on 
the  other  hand,  it  was  not  only  necessary  for  Ma- 
rion to  preserve  discipline  in  his  camp,  but  it  was 
of  the  last  importance  that  he  should  show  the 
country  that  he  could  protect  the  property  of  such 
persons  as  rendered  aid  and  comfort  to  his  army.  It 
was  necessary  that  he  should  vindicate  his  honour, 
and  evince  that  his  command  was  so  well  esta- 
blished that  his  word  could  be  taken  for  the  conduct 
of  his  forces. 

The  mutineer  still  refused.  "  Sergeant  of  the 
guaid,"  said  Marion,  in  a  voice  of  calm  determina- 
tion, '•  bring  a  file  of  soldiers."  In  an  instant  the 
guard  presented  themselves.  The  culprits  looked 
round  the  circle,  and  found  no  face  which  offered 
encouragement  or  sympathy.  If  there  had  been 
•<x  disposition  on  the  part  of  any  to  side  with  the 
mutineers,  the  calm  and  prudent  course  of  Marion 
had  defeated  it.  A  sign  was  exchanged  between 
the  two  offenders.  The  holder  of  the  sword  ten- 
dered it  to  Marion,  with  the  remark,  in  a  tone  ot 
sulky  submission,  "  General,  you  need  not  have 
sent  for  the  guard."  Marion  now  refused  to  receive 
1  ;  but  referred  him  to  the  serjeant,  to  whom,  now 
doubly  humiliated,  he  delivered  it.  There  was  no 
arrest;  the  two  officers,  one  holding  the  commission 
of  a  major,  and  the  other  of  a  captain,  slunk  away 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  1  17 

They  were  still  permitted  opportunity  for  contri- 
tion; but  exhibiting  none,  Marion  expelled  them 
from  his  brigade.  And  as  their  conduct  subse- 
quently became  notorious  for  cruelty,  and  offences 
against  humanity,  Marion  declared  them  outlaws, 
and  caused  proclamations  to  be  posted,  announcing 

that  Major and  Captain did  not  belong 

to  his  brigade ;  that  they  were  banditti,  robbers, 
and  thieves,  and  were  hereby  declared  out  of  the 
protection  of  the  laws,  and  might  be  killed  wherever 
found. 

Thus,  in  a  bloodless  but  effectual  manner  was 
this  threatening  mutiny  suppressed.  And  not  only 
was  the  point  of  re-establishing  his  authority  car- 
ried, but  another  not  less  important  was  established. 
This  was  that  Marion  would  not  sanction  plunder 
and  massacre.  Those  in  the  brigade  who  had 
favoured  the  derelicts,  did  it  to  defend  the  principle 
of  retaliation  upon  the  Tories.  They  wished  to 
proceed  by  burning,  plunder,  and  massacre  against 
the  loyalists ;  but  Marion  was  resolved  that  if  he 
could  not  entirely  check  the  spirit  of  inhuman 
revenge,  he  would  at  least  prevent  the  sanction  of 
his  command  from  being  even  inferred  as  in  favour 
of  such  proceedings.  The  circumstances  attending 
the  death  of  his  nephew,  and  his  well-known  affec' 
tion  for  that  estimable  young  man,  were  probablv 


148  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

counted  •upon  by  those  who  desired  to  "cry  havoc,''1 
as  likely  to  induce  him  to  relax  the  strict  prohibi- 
tion which  he  had  issued  against  unnecessary  cru- 
elty ;  but  in  this  they  were  disappointed.  The 
very  fact  that  he  had  personal  reason,  if  any  had, 
to  hate  the  Tories,  made  his  resolute  forbearance 
the  more  commanding. 

It  was  at  the  encampment  on  Snow's  Island  that 
the  famous  potato  dinner  took  place.  The  account 
of  this  is  one  of  the  most  pleasant  legends  of  the 
Revolution,  and  has  been  celebrated  throughout 
the  land  in  song  and  story.  It  forms  the  subject 
of  one  of  our  most  agreeable  national  pictures,  the 
production  of  the  pencil  of  John  H.  White,  of 
Charleston.  It  has  been  circulated  in  various  forms 
as  an  engraving,  being  first  published  by  the  Art 
Union,  and  never  fails  to  please.  The  story  is,  that 
a  British  officer  arrived  at  Marion's  encampment 
with  a  flag  of  truce,  to  negotiate  an  exchange  of 
prisoners.  His  business  finished,  he  was  about  to 
depart,  when  Marion  pressed  him  to  remain  and 
share  his  dinner.  The  guest  looked  round,  and 
perceived  a  fire,  but  no  tokens  of  anything  in  the 
way  of  a  banquet.  Curiosity,  or  politeness,  or  both 
motives,  induced  him  to  accept  the  invitation;  and 
Marion  then  directed  one  of  the  men  to  serve  tb« 
repast. 


LIFE     OP     MARION.  11°- 

The  plate  on  which  the  American  general's  din- 
ner was  served  was  a  clean  piece  of  bark,  and  the 
viands  themselves,  which  the  man  proceeded  to 
unearth  from  among-  the  glowing  ashes,  were  tole- 
rably simple,  being  neither  more  nor  less  than 
sweet  potatoes,  baked  to  a  nicety.  The  General 
ate  heartily,  pressing  his  guest  to  follow  his  exam- 
ple. The  stranger  was  at  once  awed  and  surprised 
at  what  he  had  seen,  and  forgave  the  dinner  in  the 
pleasure  he  received  at  being  the  guest  of  a  soldier 
so  renowned  as  Francis  Marion ;  but  a  soldier 
without  any  of  the  factitious  and  extrinsic  circum- 
stances which  usually  accompany  military  dignity. 
As  our  readers  are  already  aware,  there  was  nothing 
commanding  or  noble  in  the  presence  of  Marion ; 
and  his  men  looked  like  anything  but  an  encamp- 
ment, of  soldiers.  The  whole  scene  was  decidedly 
unmilitary,  so  far  as  ornament  and  parade  are  con- 
cerned ;  but  there  was  a  look  of  determination  in 
the  swarthy  faces  of  the  men  who  passed  and 
repassed,  and  an  air  of  self-denial  in  the  hard  fare 
to  which  these  soldiers  of  liberty  submitted,  which 
were  far  more  formidable  than  any  mere  military 
pomp. 

His  politeness  could  not,  however,  prevent  the 
officer  from  inquiring  whether  this  frugal  mode  of 
living  was  Marion's  usual  fare.     The  General  in? 


!  50  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

formed  him  that  on  that  day,  having  a  guest,  he 
regarded  himself  as  fortunate  in  having  rather  a 
better  dinner  than  usual.  The  conversation  con- 
tinued till  the  Briton  was  apprised  that  Marion's 
pay  was  no  better  than  his  rations ;  and  the  story 
goes  on  to  say  that,  on  his  return  to  the  British  gar- 
rison, the  officer  was  so  much  impressed  with  what 
he  had  heard  and  seen,  and  so  convinced  of  the 
impossibility  of  overcoming  soldiers  who  fought 
thus  upon  principle,  and  for  the  pure  love  of  liber- 
ty, that  he  decided  to  throw  up  his  commission. 
He  returned  to  England,  satisfied  that  the  struggle, 
if  not  a  vain,  was  an  unjust  one ;  and  that  those 
who  fought  so  valiantly  for  independence  deserved 
it.  "Whether  in  all  its  details  this  be  strictly  true 
or  not,  it  is  certain  that  the  successful  issue  of  the 
Revolution  was  as  much  due  to  the  resolution  and 
endurance  of  the  patriots  as  to  their  active  courage. 
The  latter  could  only  occasionally  be  called  into 
exercise  ;  the  former  was  necessary  every  day.  It 
was  a  long  struggle,  and  harder  in  its  resistance 
against  want  and  suffering,  than  in  its  battles  with 
the  enemy. 


LIFE     OF    MARION. 


151 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Greenes  Appreciation  of  Marion  —  Colonel  Washington's  Ruse  A 
quiet  piece  of  Ordnance — Morgan's  Brigade — Pursuit  by  Tarleton— ■ 
Battle  of  the  Covvpens — Anecdote  of  Tarleton — Anecdote  of  Conyera 
— Lee  joins  Marion — Attack  on  Georgetown — Capture  of  the  Com- 
manding Officer — Partial  Success  of  the  Attack — Lee  recalled  by 
Greene — Movements  of  Corn  wall  is — Services  of  Marion's  Brigade,  in 
the  Absence  of  the  Regular  Army. 


General  greene  brought  to 

the  South  with  him  something  that 
was  of  even  more  consequence  to 
success  than  his  own  military  expe- 
rience ;  and  that  something  was  a  just  appre- 
^fferj  ciation  of  the  character  and  services  of 
Marion,  and  of  the  efficiency  of  his  force, 
and  its  proper  disposal.  On  the  very  day 
after  he  assumed  the  command  he  wrote  a  letter  10 
Marion,  no  less  true  than  complimentary  to  that 
officer,  in  which  he  praised  the  efficiency  and  use- 
fulness of  his  course  in  Carolina,  and  bewared  him 

7  DO 

t(    remain  in  his  independent  position,  and  to  add 


152  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

to  his  other  duties  that  of  keeping  the  commandei 
of  the  Southern,  army  supplied  with  intelligence. 
We  need  hardly  say  that  Marion  readily  undertook 
this  duty,  and  most  skilfully  performed  it.  His 
intelligence  was  of  immense  service  to  Greene  in 
his  after  operations;  and  demonstrated  the  utility 
of  common  sense  in  the  General,  who  knew  thus 
how  to  avail  himself  of  most  important  assistance. 
Just  as  Greene  assumed  the  command,  there 
occurred  as  pleasant  a  piece  of  successful  strategy 
as  the  history  of  the  whole  war  affords.  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Washington,  while  detached  in  pursuit  of 
a  party  of  Tories,  who  eluded  him  by  a  timely 
retreat,  happened  to  hear  of  another  party  posted 
at  Rugely's  Farm,  about  thirteen  miles  from  Cam- 
den. This  force  he  determined  to  attack;  but 
upon  reaching  the  ground  he  found  the  party, 
under  Colonel  Rugely,  strongly  posted  in  a  log 
barn,  secured  by  abattis,  and  the  ground  inaccessi- 
ble to  cavalry.  Colonel  Washington  had  neither 
infantry  nor  artillery,  and  the  chase  seemed  after 
all  about  to  prove  but  a  bootless  one.  A  happy 
expedient  occurred  to  the  American  commander. 
I  le  felled  a  pine  tree,  hewed  out  and  blocked  a  most 
ferocious-looking  field-piece ;  and  mounting  it  on 
wagon -wheels,  advanced  with  all  proper  and  terrific 
parade,  as  if  to  batter  down  the  stronghold.    With 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  153 

out  stopping  to  enquire  where  a  cavalry  corps  could 
have  picked  up  a  field-piece,  Colonel  Rugely  decided 
to  surrender  at  once,  and  save  unnecessary  blood- 
shed. And  in  this  affair  Colonel  Washington  made 
one  hundred  and  twelve  prisoners,  without,  it  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  remark,  once  discharging-  his 
field-piece,  till  the  close  of  the  surrender,  when  he 
discharged  it — from  further  service.  It  had  cer- 
tainly done  wonders  for  such  a  piece  of  ordnance. 

This  small  affair  was  soon  succeeded  by  a  signal 
and  important  success  in  another  direction.  Greene 
made  up  for  General  Morgan  an  independent  bri- 
gade, comprising  about  three  hundred  of  the  con- 
tinental line,  Colonel  Washington's  light  dragoons, 
and  two  companies  of  militia  from  Virginia;  and 
the  brigade  was  farther  supported  by  the  militia 
under  Colonel  Pickens.  The  purpose  of  this  de- 
tachment was  to  encourage  the  Whigs,  and  overawe 
the  Tories  west  of  the  Catawba — to  secure  provi- 
sions, and  to  hold  in  check  the  foraging  parties  of 
the  British,  and  narrow  the  enemy's  tract  of  opera- 
tions. The  main  army,  a  mere  skeleton,  rested  at 
Hicks's  Creek. 

Comwallis  determined  to  attack  the  Americans 
while  thus  divided,  and  defeat  them  in  detail,  before 
they  coull  effect  a  junction.  Reserving  Greene  for 
himself,     lie   indefatigable  Tarleton    was   sent  to 


154  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

take  care  of  Morgan.  Tarleton's  force,  his  legion 
and  some  auxiliary  infantry  and  artillery,  amounted 
to  about  one  thousand  men.  Morgan's  strength  was 
avout  eight  hundred. 

Tarleton  dashed  on  with  his  usual  impetuosity  , 
and  Morgan,  being  in  an  insecure  position,  crossed 
the  Pacolet,  intending  to  defend  the  fords.  But 
Tarleton  had  already  crossed  that  creek  at  another 
ford,  six  miles  below;  and  Morgan,  finding  his 
pursuer  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  retreated 
again  to  the  Cowpens,  where  he  made  a  stand,  and, 
in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  his  officers,  deter- 
mined to  risk  a  battle.  Tarleton  reached  his  late 
camp  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  that  Morgan 
had  vacated  the  ground.  At  three  o'clock  Tarleton, 
leaving  his  baggage  under  a  guard,  pushed  on  to 
surprise  Morgan.  But  that  officer  was  apprised  of 
his  approach,  and  ready  to  receive  him. 

The  disposition  made  by  General  Morgan  of  his 
troops  was  most  judicious,  and  his  presence  of  mind 
during  the  engagement  was  truly  soldier-like.  He 
availed  himself  even  of  apparent  checks  and  disas- 
ters, and  made  them  contribute  to  the  victory.  The 
militia  were  posted  in  front — those  bodies  of  troops 
of  whom  least  could  be  expected  being  farthest  in 
advance.  As  it  was  presumed  that  such  troops 
would   not  long   withstand   Tarleton's  impetuous 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  155 

charge,  they  were  ordered  to  keep  up  a  retreating 
fire,  and  passing  through  intervals  left  for  that  pur- 
pose in  the  second  line,  to  form  again  on  its  right. 
Tarleton,  whose  defeats  and  successes  seem  to  have 
arisen  from  the  same  cause,  over-confidence,  was 
sure  of  an  easy  victory.  His  troops  rushed  for- 
ward, shouting  as  they  moved ;  and  the  American 
militia,  after  one  well-directed  fire,  fell  back — and 
ao;ain  making  a  short  stand,  after  a  brief  but  warm 
conflict,  retreated  behind  the  second  line,  which  was 
composed  principally  of  continental  troops.  These 
veteians  received  Tarleton  with  great  intrepidity; 
and  he  was  compelled  to  order  up  his  reserve,  to 
strengthen  the  attack.  At  this  critical  moment  a 
mistake  was  made,  which  had  nearly  proved  fatal. 
A  company,  which  was  ordered  to  change  its  front 
to  face  the  enemy,  which  was  pressing  on  the  flank, 
fell  back,  on  account  of  mistaking  the  order.  The 
rest  of  the  line,  supposing  orders  to  have  been  given 
to  change  their  ground,  began  to  retire,  but  in  per- 
fect order.  General  Morgan,  perceiving  the  mis- 
take, confirmed  the  movement,  and  directed  the 
retreat  to  be  continued,  till  the  infantry  reached 
the  place  where  Colonel  Washington  was  posted 
with  the  reserve.  The  British,  believing  the  fate 
of  the  battle  decided,  pressed  on  with  ardour,  and 
in  some  confusion,  when   suddenly  the  Americans 


156  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

halted,  faced  about,  and  poured  a  most  deadly  fir« 
into  the  advancing  enemy.  The  Americans  fol- 
lowed up  their  fire  with  a  bayonet  charge,  and  the 
British  line  was  broken.  While  this  was  goino  on 
with  the  infantry,  Colonel  Washington's  light  dra- 
goons had  routed  a  body  of  the  British  horse;  and 
Colonel  Howard,  who  commanded  the  continental 
troops,  followed  up  the  advantage  gained,  with  the 
aid  of  Colonel  Washington,  until  the  British  artil- 
lery, and  the  greater  part  of  the  infantry,  surren- 
dered. 

So  suddenly  had  this  defeat  taken  place,  that  a 
portion  of  the  British  horse  had  not  been  brought 
into  action,  but  were  retreating  unbroken.  Colonel 
Washington  pursued  the  retiring  horse,  and  en- 
gaged them  with  great  spirit.  But  they  were  supe 
rior  to  his  force  in  numbers,  and.  made  a  gallant 
stand,  until,  Morgan  coming  up  with  his  infantry, 
the  retreat  was  resumed.  In  this  eno-acrement  the 
British  lost  over  one  hundred  killed,  including  ten 
commissioned  officers ;  and  twenty-five  commis- 
sioned officers  and  five  privates  were  made  prison- 
ers. Eight  hundred  muskets,  two  field-pieces,  two 
standards,  thirty -five  bacr<xao;e  wagons,  and  one 
hundred  dragoon  horses,  were  taken  by  the  Ameri- 
cans. The  American  loss  was  between  seventy 
and  eighty,  killed  and  wounded.     It  was  a  mosl 


LIFEOF    MARION.  1 57 

important  victory  to  the  Americans,  aw  would 
have  been  a  decisive  one  if  the  Americans  had 
been  in  force  to  follow  up  its  advantages.  But  the 
whole  Southern  army  did  not  exceed  two  thousand 
men,  and  they  were  divided  into  two  bodies.  Gene- 
ral Morgan  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  baggage 
which  he  had  taken,  in  order  that  it  should  not 
impede  his  march. 

An  amusing  anecdote  is  related  of  Tarleton,  in 
connexion  with  this  affair.  He  was  speaking,  in  a 
public  house,  in  rather  contemptuous  terms  of  an 
American  officer  who  was  in  this  engagement. 
"  For  his  part,"  he  said,  "he  had  heard  very  much 
of  this  man's  prowess,  but  he  could  never  get  near 
enough  to  see  him."  "  Perhaps,"  said  a  servant- 
girl  pertly,  "  you  might  have  had  that  pleasure,  if 
you  would  have  looked  behind  you,  at  the  Cow- 
pens  !"  The  girls  at  that  day  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  deficient  in  the  ability  and  spirit  to  make  sharp 
answers.  Another  anecdote  occurs  to  us  which  is 
wTorth  relating.  In  Marion's  brigade  there  was  a 
Captain  Conyers,  distinguished  for  bravery  and 
excellent  horsemanship,  and,  withal,  a  little  vain 
of  his  accomplishments.  It  so  chanced  that  Ma 
rion  ha  1  surrounded,  or  blockaded,  a  British  partv 
at  a  plantation  where  Mary  Witherspoon,  the 
betrothed  of  Conyers,  and  the  daughter  of  another 


1 58  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

of  Marion's  officers,  was  lesiding.  It  may  be 
inferred  from  her  connexions  what  kind  of  a  spirit 
such  a  girl  would  possess.  Conyers,  who  was  one 
of  the  investing  party,  would  not  lose  the  oppor- 
tunity of  distinguishing  himself  in  the  sight  of  his 
mistress.  He  daily  challenged  the  British  posts, 
presenting  himself  sometimes  alone,  and  sometimes 
at  the  head  of  a  detachment ;  and  the  girl's  pride 
in  her  lover  was  delighted  at  hearing  the  warning 
cry,  as  she  frequently  did  —  "  Take  care  !  there  's 
Conyers !"  One  day  a  British  officer,  while  Con- 
yers was  capering  in  front  of  the  lines,  approached 
the  maiden,  and  made  some  sneering  remark  about 
her  lover.  Pulling  her  shoe  from  her  foot,  she 
threw  it  in  his  face,  and  exclaimed,  "  Coward !  go 
out  and  meet  him  !" 

Previously  to  the  date  of  the  battle  of  the  Cow- 
pens,  Marion  had  been  joined  by  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Lee,  at  the  head  of  his  famous  legion.  Lee  states 
in  his  memoirs,  that  to  find  the  General  with  whom 
he  was  to  co-operate  was  no  very  easy  matter.  An 
officer,  who  was  sent  on  in  advance  with  a  small 
party  to  find  Marion,  did  not  discover  his  where- 
abouts until  Marion's  own  men  had  made  many 
hours'  search  fcr  their  commander.  It  was  not  our 
partisan's  policy  to  remain  long  in  a  place ;  for  he 
was  himself  too  much  in  the  habit  of  surprising 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  159 

others  to  permit  his  own  safety  to  be  endangered 
by  consulting  his  ease. 

Marion  had  long  and  earnestly  desired  the  aid 
of  some  regular  troops  of  the  continental  army,  in 
addition  to  his  own  forces.  He  was  fortunate  in 
the  co-operation  of  Lee's  brigade ;  and  the  more  so 
that  Colonel  Lee  highly  respected  and  admired  him. 
Of  this  we  have  the  evidence  in  the  warm  enco- 
miums upon  the  partisan  General  which  Lee  has 
left  in  his  works.  The  plans  of  Greene  looked  to 
the  intercepting  of  supplies  sent  from  Charleston 
for  the  army  of  Cornwallis,  and  to  the  breaking  up 
of  the  chain  of  posts  which  defended  the  great 
British  line  of  communication.  The  capture  of 
Georgetown,  Marion's  favourite  scheme,  harmo- 
nized with  the  purposes  of  General  Greene ;  and 
an  attack  was  therefore  determined  upon. 

The  plan  was  to  take  the  post  by  surprise,  at 
midnight.  The  troops  were  moved  near  the  town, 
unperceived.  At  midnight  the  various  bodies 
rushed  into  the  town,  according  to  the  plan  con- 
certed ;  but  as  some  of  them  were  not  in  time  to 
make  the  attack  simultaneous,  the  enemy  retained 
possession  of  the  fort  or  citadel.  The  Americans 
had  no  ordnance  to  carry  the  defences ;  and  nothing 
was  left  them  but  to  retreat,  after  having  driven 
the  British   into   their  defences.      Several  of  ilia 


160  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

British  were  killed,  and  among  them  one  or  two 
officers.  One  of  the  British  officers,  named  Crook- 
shanks,  was  saved  by  his  betrothed.  He  had  rushed 
out  into  the  piazza  of  the  house  in  which  he  lodged, 
and  discharged  his  pistol  among  the  assailants.  At 
the  moment  when  their  weapons  were  directed 
against  him  the  young  lady  rushed  into  the  fray, 
and  throwing  her  arms  round  his  neck,  cried  out, 
"  0  !  save  Major  Crookshanks !"  Crookshanks  sur 
rendered  himself  a  prisoner,  and  his  parole  was 
taken  upon  the  spot;  and  the  Americans  pushed 
on  to  further  surprises. 

Colonel  Campbell,  the  commander  of  the  post, 
was  taken  prisoner  in  his  bed,  and  admitted  to 
parole.  Had  the  fort  at  the  first  onset  been  carried 
by  the  bayonet,  before  the  enemy  had  time  to  pre- 
pare themselves  for  resistance,  the  victory  would 
have  been  signal  and  complete.  As  it  was,  the 
advantage  was  entirely  upon  the  side  of  the  Ameri- 
cans; and  the  boldness  of  the  attempt  served  far- 
ther to  show  the  British  what  an  indefatigable 
enemy  they  had  to  contend  with. 

Marion  did  not  wait  in  Georgetown  or  its  neigh' 
bourhood  for  the  enemy  to  rally  and  attack  him ; 
and.  Lee  fully  coincided  in  his  cautious  policy.  In 
deed  Marion's  men,  Horry  tells  us,  while  they 
rejoiced  at  the  accession  of  strength  which  Lee 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  161 

brought  in  his  cavalry,  "  the  handsomest  they  had 
ever  seen,"  rejoiced  no  less  in  the  belief  that  Lee 
"in  deep  art  and  undaunted  courage  was  a  second 
Marion."  But  Lee  and  Marion  were  not  Ion"-  at 
this  time  to  remain  together.  After  the  defeat  of 
Tarleton  by  Morgan,  Cornwallfs  pressed  so  hard 
upon  the  victors,  with  his  superior  army,  that  a 
retreat  was  necessary.  Greene  put  himself  at  the 
head  of  Morgan's  force,  and  called  Lee  to  rejoin 
him,  with  his  whole  legion. 

As  Lieutenant  Tarleton  made  so  large  a  figure 
in  the  partisan  warfare  of  the  South,  we  have 
thought  it  expedient  to  give  the  particulars  of  his 
great  defeat  at  the  Cowpens ;  but  must  despatch 
the  further  operations  of  Cornwallis  and  his  officers 
in  brief  space.  The  movements  of  Greene  and  the 
British  commander  involved  and  exhibited  much 
admirable  military  skill  upon  both  sides ;  and  the 
behaviour  of  their  respective  armies  was  character- 
ized by  every  trait  of  active  courage  and  patient 
endurance  which  make  up  the  soldier's  character. 
Greene,  having  an  insufficient  force,  strove  to  keep 
the  field  without  being  compelled  to  hazard  an  en- 
gagement, while  Cornwallis  strove  to  bring  on  a 
battle,  and  laboured  particularly  to  reach  one  body 
of  Greene's  force  before  a  junction  could  be  effected 

L 


162  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

with  the  others  —  and  to  strike  a  decisive  blow 
while  Greene  was  not  yet  reinforced  by  militia. 
At  one  time  Cornwallis  had  complete  command 
of  North  Carolina;  and  even  took  the  preliminary 
steps  towards  re-establishing  the  royal  government. 
Greene  retreated  before  Cornwallis  into  Virginia; 
but,  as  Cornwallis  fell  back  into  North  Carolina, 
Greene  returned.  On  the  15th  of  March,  1781, 
the  battle  of  Guilford  Court  House  took  place.  It 
was  well  contested,  and  gallantly  fought  upon  both 
sides.  The  British  were  barely  victors;  but  so 
hardly  won  was  the  small  advantage,  that  Corn- 
wallis was  in  no  condition  to  renew  the  attack. 
The  British  lost  five  hundred  and  thirty-two  men, 
in  killed  and  wounded,  including  several  officers. 
The  Americans  had  between  four  and  five  hun- 
dred killed  and  wounded,  and  many  missing.  Of 
the  latter,  however,  most  rejoined  their  corps 
afterwards,  or,  being  militia,  were  found  at  their 
homes. 

After  this  action  Lord  Cornwallis  fell  back  to 
Wilmington;  Greene  having  recruited  his  force, 
a::d  pursuing  him.  At  this  point  Greene  deter 
mined,  instead  of  engaging  Cornwallis,  to  carry  the 
war  into  South  Carolina  again,  and  thus  compel 
the  British  commander  either  to  lose  the  advan- 


LIFE    OP    MARION.  1 63 

tages  held  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  or  to 
follow  the  Americans  and  liberate  South  Carolina 
But  Cornwallis  took  an  unexpected,  and  as  it  re- 
sulted a  fatal  course  for  him.  Instead  of  following 
Greene,  he  pushed  on  to  Virginia,  and  ended  his 
career  in  America  on  the  19th  of  October  following, 
by  surrendering  to  the  combined  American  and 
French  forces  at  Yorktown.  * 

During  the  movements  between  Greene  and 
Cornwallis  which  we  have  been  speaking  of,  Ma- 
rion and  his  men  were  busy  indeed  in  South 
Carolina.  Lord  Rawdon  was  left  in  command  of 
the  British  and  loyalist  forces  there,  and  found  it 
a  very  troublesome  command.  It  was  not  that 
Marion  and  the  other  partisans  were  in  sufficient 
force  to  create  serious  alarm ;  but  they  did  cause 
to  the  British  extreme  inconvenience.  Not  a  de- 
tachment could  move  except  in  large  force ;  not  a 
baggage-wagon  could  proceed  without  a  convoy. 
Several  of  the  smaller  posts  and  military  depots 
were  surprised,  and  the  stores  destroyed ;  trains  of 
baggage  were  seized  or  burnt  —  parties  were  fre- 
quently captured ;  and  dismay  was  carried  into  the 
Tory  settlements.  The  line  of  communication  be- 
tween Charleston  and  the  army  of  Cornwallis  was 
broken  up ;  and  the  British  were  so  shut  up  iy 


164  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

their  strongholds,  that  it  became  absolutely  neces« 
sary  that  they  should  "catch  Mr.  Marion."  This 
was  an  experiment  which,  our  readers  remember, 
had  been  tried  before,  without  very  flattering  suc- 
cess. The  history  of  the  adventures  of  the  detach- 
ments sent  by  Lord  Rawdon  in  pursuit  of  the 
"  swamp  fox,"  we  will  leave  to  another  chapter. 


LIFE    OF     MARION. 


165 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Detachments  in  pursuit  of  Marion — Colonel  Tynes — Unfortunate  Con- 
dition of  Horry's  Men  —  Pursuit  of  Mcllrailh  —  Challenge  to  an 
Engagement  by  Champions  —  McIIraith  Recedes  from  the  Pro- 
posal, and  retreats — Marion  draws  off  his  Men,  and  McIIraith 
Escapes — Encounter  with  Watson  on  the  Santee — Brave  Exploit  of 
Gavin  James — Affair  at  Mount  Hope — Encounter  on  the  Williams- 
burg Road  —  Watson's  Message  to  Marion  —  McDonald's  Sharp- 
Shooting —  His  Message  to  Watson — Watson  blockaded  at  Blake- 
ley's — He  escapes  to  Georgetown. 


WO  British  parties  were  despatched 
in  pursuit  of  Marion.  Each  com- 
prised a  regiment  of  British  soldiers, 
with  an  auxiliary  force  of  loyalists. 
One  party  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Wat- 
son, and  the  other  by  Colonel  Doyle.  Their 
first  purpose  was  the  capture  of  Marion;  and 
a  second,  and  hardly  less  important,  the  break 
mg  up  of  his  stronghold  on  Snow's  Island.  Of 
Watson's  movements  Marion  was  well  advised. 
He  had  a  chain  of  scouts  in  the  Whig  young  men, 
who  kef*"  him  apprised  of  the  important  movements 


166  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

of  tlie  enemy ;  but  by  some  means  Doyle's  progress 
was  not  known  to  the  Whigs.  The  two  British 
detachments  were  to  form  a  junction  on  the  Pedee 
River.  Watson's  movements  were  made  with  a 
great  deal  of  caution ;  and  so  indeed  were  Doyle's. 
Both  knew  the  crafty  character  of  the  man  of  whom 
they  were  in  pursuit. 

Marion  was  sensible  that  his  force  was  insuffi- 
cient to  cope  in  open  fight  with  the  enemy;  and 
being  well  instructed  as  to  Watson's  movements  in 
particular,  he  kept  his  men  actively  employed  in 
the  sudden  surprises  and  quick  marches  which  so 
annoyed  the  enemy.  There  was  a  famous  loyalist 
colonel  named  Tynes,  of  whose  defeat  and  capture 
we  have  in  a  previous  chapter  informed  the  reader. 
He  was  sent  to  North  Carolina  for  safe-keeping; 
but  made  his  escape  from  jail,  not  improbably  by 
the  connivance  of  the  jailor,  and  appeared  again  in 
South  Carolina,  at  the  head  of  a  second  party. 
Again  Marion  defeated  him,  capturing  the  whole 
party,  with  its  leader.  Colonel  Tynes  was  a  second 
lime  sent  to  the  North  state  as  a  prisoner.  Incredi- 
ble as  it  may  seem,  with  an  indefatigability  worthy 
of  a  better  cause,  he  made  his  appearance  a  third 
time  in  South  Carolina,  with  a  larger  force  than 
ever.  There  would  appear  to  have  been,  from  some 
cause  or  other,  great  facilities  of  escape ;  for  Tynes 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  167 

was  not  the  only  man  whom  Marion  fought  two  or 
three  times  over;  and  some  presented  themselves 
even  oftener  than  that,  to  be  met  and  captured 

Horry,  with  forty  of  the  best  horsemen  in  Ma- 
rion's command,  was  sent  to  deal  a  third  time  with 
this  constantly  re-appearing  enemy.  All  went  as 
well  as  the  gallant  partisan  could  wish.  Riding 
hard  all  night,  and  until  noon  the  next  day,  the 
party  reached  the  house  of  a  man,  who,  Weems 
says,  was  truly  "  a  publican  and  a  sinner," — for  he 
was  a  great  Tory.  Horry  took  the  liberty  to  put 
his  host  under  guard,  for  fear  that  he  might  convey 
intelligence  to  the  enemy;  and,  by  way  of  after 
dinner  amusement,  busied  himself  with  extracting 
information  from  his  prisoner.  The  wife,  who 
seems  to  have  been  such  an  adept  in  artifice  that 
Horry  would  have  done  well  to  put  her  under 
guard  too,  was  meanwhile  securing  the  failure  of 
Horry's  plans,  with  a  very  seductive  and  potent 
ally.  She  not  only  gave  the  men  as  much  apple- 
brandy as  they  could  drink,  but  very  obligingly 
filled  their  bottles  and  canteens. 

As  Marion's  men  never  started  on  an  expedition 
without  well  understanding  the  ground,  and  the 
nature  of  their  chances,  Horry,  after  his  men  were 
refreshed  and  rested,  started  off  in  high  glee,  sure 
oi  making  Colonel  Tynes  a  prisoner  for  the  third 


168  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

time.  But  he  soon  began  to  perceive  that  the  men 
were  in  much  greater  spirits  than  there  was  any 
particular  warrant  for;  and  their  canteens  visited 
their  mouths  much  oftener  than,  if  the  contents 
had  been  only  water,  as  usual,  there  would  have 
been  any  temptation  for. 

To  the  enquiry  what  they  were  drinking,  the 
troop  answered,  "  water,  only  water;"  but  Horry, 
to  his  great  mortification,  found  that  some  of  them 
with  much  difficulty  kept  their  seats.  Their  com- 
mander, upon  endeavouring  to  expostulate  with 
them,  received  precisely  such  answers  as  were  to 
be  expected  from  drunken  men,  and  drew  off  in 
despair.  To  have  persevered  in  the  attack,  with 
soldiers  in  that  condition,  would  have  been  to  lead 
them  to  certain  death ;  to  remain  where  they  were 
until  the  men  were  recovered,  would  have  been 
almost  as  bad,  for  the  whole  district  through  which 
they  were  riding  was  thoroughly  Tory ;  and  no 
choice  was  left  but  to  order  a  retreat.  Even  this 
was  accomplished  in  a  scandalously  noisy  and 
unsoldier-like  manner.  Each  trooper  in  his  corps 
fancied  himself  a  general,  and  ordered  his  comrades 
about;  and  such  was  the  noise  and  hallooing,  that 
the  next  morning  Tynes,  having  waited  all  night 
for  an  attack,  despatched  a  patrol  up  the  road  to 
see  what  was  the  matter.     The  patrol  found  some 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  169 

of  the  plumes  which  the  drunken  rogues  had  lost, 
and  setting  up  the  cry,  "  Marion  !  Marion  !"  every 
step  was  taken  to  guard  against  surprise.  Marian 
received  Horry's  report  with  his  usual  equanimity, 
but  cautioned  him  to  watch  the  "fire  water"  in 
future.  A  few  days  afterward  Marion  captured  a 
good  part  of  Tynes's  command ;  and  the  unfor- 
tunate Colonel  does  not  appear  to  have  figured  oa 
the  scene  any  more.  But  for  the  shameful  inebria- 
tion of  Horry's  men,  Tynes  would  most  probably 
have  found  his  way  to  a  more  secure  imprisonment 
than  his  two  former  ones.  This  affair  very  much 
chagrined  Horry ;  and  we  preserve  the  account  of 
it  principally  as  one  of  the  thousand  proofs  of  the 
uselessness  of  alcoholic  courage. 

In  the  month  of  February,  Marion  heard  of  the 
approach  of  a  British  officer,  Major  Mcllraith,  with 
a  force  fully  equal  to  his  own;  and  immediately  the 
proper  measures  were  taken  to  meet  this  enemy, 
or,  rather,  to  change  the  defensive  attitude  from 
himself  to  his  enemy.  Mcllraith,  in  all  accounts, 
is  represented  as  a  loyal  officer,  of  more  humane 
and  noble  character  than  the  greater  part  of  those? 
who  figured  in  the  contest  in  South  Carolina.  He 
burned  no  houses  on  his  march,  and  hanged  no 
prisoners ;  nay,  he  even  paid  for  such  refreshments 
as  his  troops  needed.    Marion  overtook  him  at  sun- 


170  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

set,  and  his  advance  instantly  had  a  brush  with  tli6 
enemy.  The  action  was  then  suspended,  to  be 
renewed  in  the  morning  ■  but  Mcllraith  did  not 
wait.  On  the  next  day,  Marion  pushed  on  in  pur- 
suit. At  the  house  of  a  well-known  Whig  lady, 
Marion  heard  most  eulogistic  accounts  of  the  hu 
manity  of  Mcllraith,  and  found  also  a  surgeon  in 
charge  of  a  number  of  wounded  men,  part  of  whom 
were  British,  and  the  rest  Americans,  badly  hurt, 
who  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  British. 

Marion  pushed  on  in  pursuit,  but  said  that  he 
felt  very  mach  as  if  he  were  hunting  a  brother. 
Such  commanders  as  Mcllraith,  and  such  a  policy 
as  he  pursued  toward  the  Americans,  would  have 
been  much  more  efficient  than  the  barbarous  policy 
which  had  hitherto  brought  only  odium  upon  the  royal 
cause.  The  retreating  British  were  overtaken  on  the 
road,  but  after  a  sharp  skirmish  in  a  place  every  way 
eligible  for  the  swamp  tactics  of  Marion,  Mcllraith, 
by  hard  fighting,  managed  to  reach  an  open  field, 
where  he  encamped.  Marion  pitched  his  tents 
near  him,  and  here  flags  were  exchanged.  Mcll- 
raith complained  of  Marion's  mode  of  warfare,  and 
challenged  him  to  a  fair  fight  in  the  open  field. 
Marion  perceived  readily  that  this  was  but  the 
challenge  of  a  man  who,  finding  himself  in  a  des- 
perate predicament,  wished  the  other  party  to  forfeit 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  17) 

his  advantages ;  but  replied  that  if  Major  Mcllraith 
wished  to  see  a  combat  between  twenty  champions 
on  each  side,  he  was  not  unwilling  to  gratify  him. 
This  was  agreed  to,  and  pleased  Marion's  men 
exceedingly,  from  the  dash  of  romance  and  adven- 
ture in  it.  The  twenty  men  from  the  American 
side  advanced;  then  twenty  opponents  were  drawn 
up  in  line  to  receive  them ;  and  both  armies  were 
lookino-  on  with  intense  interest,  when  Mcllraith 
suddenly  recalled  his  men,  who  retreated  to  the 
main  body.  The  American  party  at  this  movement 
raised  a  shout  of  triumph,  but  did  not  fire  a  shot, 
and  returned  also.  Thus  the  affair  finished.  Had 
it  been  persisted  in,  there  is  little  doubt  that  the 
American  sharp-shooters  would  have  killed  the 
greater  part  of  their  opponents  at  the  first  fire; 
and  the  rest  would  have  been  easily  managed. 

Marion  and  his  men  were  very  leniently  disposed 
toward  Mcllraith.  The  manner  of  his  march,  and 
the  evidence  of  humane  feelings  which  he  had 
given,  disinclined  them  from  pursuing  him  with 
the  bitter  hostility  which  usually  marked  the  par- 
tisan warfare  of  the  South.  During  the  night 
Mcllraith  abandoned  his  heavy  baggage,  and,  leav- 
ing his  camp-fires  burning,  retreated.  Marion, 
when  he  discovered  the  fact,  sent  a  party  forward 
to  get  in  advance  of  Mcllraith  before  he  should 


172  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

reach  Singleton's  Mills,  which  commanded  a  defile 
through  which  Mcllraith  must  pass.  On  reaching 
the  Mills,  Marion's  men  found  the  small-pox  there, 
and  were  disinclined  to  avail  themselves  of  such  a 
dangerous  post.  Before  they  returned,  however, 
one  of  the  men  shot  the  officer  who  led  the  British 
advance.  Marion  was  grieved  that  this  took  place, 
and  withdrew  his  soldiers  from  the  pursuit ;  willing 
that  the  British  party  should  reach  Charleston  in 
safety. 

And  now  commenced  the  series  of  encounters 
with  Watson — a  British  officer  who  had,  more  than 
any  other,  bitter  experience  of  the  character  of 
Marion  as  an  antagonist.  About  the  first  of  March 
Watson  left  the  fort  which  he  had  made  his  ren- 
dezvous, and  was  proceeding  down  the  Santee 
River.  Marion,  who  liked  to  choose  his  own 
ground  for  encountering  an  enemy,  made  one  of 
those  forced  marches  for  which  he  was  so  remark- 
able, and  suddenly  attacked  Watson  in  a^  swamp 
about  midway  between  Nelson's  and  Murray's  fer- 
ries. At  first  the  advantage  was  with  the  enemy. 
The  first  encounter  made  the  advance  of  each  party 
recoil.  Marion  +hen  gave  the  word  to  charge,  and 
for  a  little  while  the  Americans  held  their  own; 
but  Watson's  regulars  with  their  field-pieces  again 
compelled   the   Americans  to  recede.     The  Tory 


LIFE     OF     MARION,  173 

horse  under  Harrison  pressed  the  advantage;  but 
just  at  this  moment  individual  courage  saved  the 
day.  Gavin  James,  one  of  the  boldest  and  most 
expert  of  Marion's  men,  actually  checked  the  whole 
British  column ! 

James  was  a  giant  in  size,  and  rode  a  grey  horse, 
as  remarkable  for  length  and  strength  of  limb  as 
his  master.  He  threw  himself  in  front  of  his  com- 
rades, and  facing  the  enemy  as  if  he  was  perfectly 
invulnerable,  and  feared  no  shots,  he  took  deliberate 
aim  and  killed  his  man.  A  volley  from  the  British 
answered  his  single  fire,  but  not  a  shot  took  effect 
on  the  giant.  A  dragoon  then  rushed  upon  him, 
but  James  killed  him  with  his  bayonet.  A  second 
came  up,  and  was  also  stricken  down  ;  but,  as  in 
his  fall  he  clung  to  James's  musket,  the  American 
was  compelled  to  fall  back,  and  drew  the  wounded 
soldier  with  him  for  some  distance.  This  stirring 
adventure  gave  the  Americans  time  to  rally ;  ano 
captains  Macauley  and  Conyers,  at  the  head  of  the 
American  cavalry,  drove  the  Tories  back.  Harrison 
himself  fell  by  the  hand  of  Conyers ;  and  the  Bri- 
tish horse,  completely  broken,  retreated,  and  took 
shelter  behind  the  infantry.  Marion  did  not  deem 
it  ad v 'sable  to  make  any  permanent  stand  here, 
but,  having  given  the  enemy  check  enough  to  cure 
them  of  any  ardent  disposition  for  immediate  pur- 


174  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

suit,  retreated  a  few  miles  below;  and  Watson 
encamped  that  night  on  the  field  of  battle.  The 
effect  of  this  affair  was  to  put  the  Americans  in 
high  spirits,  and  to  give  the  Tories  sad  premonitions 
of  what  they  were  to  expect. 

The  next  morning  the  pursuit  was  resumed,  if 
pursuit  it  could  be  called,  in  which  the  pursuers 
could  find  the  pursued  only  by  the  attacks  which 
they  received  from  an  antagonist  who  did  not  wait 
to  be  overtaken  by  his  enemy.  At  every  step  Wat- 
son's command  was  subjected  to  sudden  attacks* 
while  Marion,  with  the  main  body,  kept  just  fai 
enough  ahead  to  be  out  of  reach  while  he  broke 
up  bridges,  and  to  have  time  and  opportunity  to 
post  ambuscades.  At  Mount  Hope  Watson  had 
bridges  to  repair,  while  his  men  were  exposed  to  a 
murderous  fire  from  Horry's  men,  who  were  con- 
cealed in  a  thicket.  But  the  British  commander 
brought  up  his  field-pieces,  and  by  drilling  the 
swamps  through  and  through  with  grape-shot,  he 
succeeded  in  dislodging  his  formidable  enemy. 

This  danger  passed,  Watson  made  a  feint,  as  if 
lie  was  about  to  change  the  direction  of  his  march. 
The  pursuer  and  pursued  were,  in  fact,  changing 
positions.  But  Marion  was  too  old  a  bush-fighter 
to  be  deceived  by  any  evolution  of  this  kind ;  and 
when  Watson  arrived  at  the  bridge  on  the  main 


AMERICAN  MARKSMAN.     Page  174. 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  175 

road  to  Williamsburg,  across  the  Black  River,  lie 
found  two  of  the  middle  arches  thrown  down,  and 
the  bridge  fired  at  eacli  end.  There  was  a  fording 
place  below  the  bridge,  and  the  approach  to  it  lav 
through  a  ravine.  Watson's  field-pieces  opened  the 
path ;  but  his  force  had  scarcely  entered  it,  when 
they  found  that  it  was  almost  literally  a  death  pas- 
sage. The  leader  of  the  British  advance  was  slain, 
and  the  whole  body  dispersed  and  driven  back.  Not 
a  man  could  approach  the  spot.  An  effort  was 
made  to  continue  the  play  of  the  field-pieces  upon 
Marion's  men ;  but,  to  command  the  position  where 
the  main  body  of  the  American  troops  were  posted, 
required  the  pieces  to  be  drawn  up  on  the  high 
ground  which  formed  one  side  of  the  ravine.  To 
send  them  there,  was  to  offer  them  as  sure  marks 
to  the  American  rirles.  Not  a  man  approached 
"within  reach  of  the  fire  of  these  unerring  marks- 
men, who  did  not  fall  dead  or  wounded.  Marion's 
force  was  so  skilfully  posted  on  both  sides  of  the 
river,  that  his  men  were  comparatively  safe.  The 
British  could  advance  to  attack  no  one  point,  with- 
out being  subjected  to  a  galling  fire  from  all  others*. 
To  force  the  pass  under  such  circumstances  was  an 
impossibility  ;  and  Watson's  men  were  fain,  like 
Marion's,  to  take  the  shelter  of  the  thickets,  and 
skirmish  as  opportunity  offered,  until  nightfall 


176  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

Watson  was  dismayed  at  the  character  of  his 
enemy.  He  declared  that  he  never  saw  such  shoot- 
ing in  his  life.  In  his  despatches  for  reinforce- 
ments, which  were  intercepted,  and  fell  into  the 
hands  of  Marion,  he  made  most  woful  complaints, 
as  well  he  might,  of  the  manner  in  which  he  was 
harassed.  He  sent  a  flag  to  Marion,  by  which  he 
begged  him  to  come  out  and  "  fight  like  a  Chris- 
tian." "Why,"  he  said,  "you  must  command  a 
horde  of  savages,  who  delight  in  nothing  but  mur- 
der. I  can't  cross  a  swamp  or  a  bridge  but  I  am 
waylaid,  and  shot  at,  like  a  mad  dog !"  Talking 
about  "honour"  and  rules  of  warfare  to  men  who 
fought  with  halters  about  their  necks  was  rather 
out  ol  place.  The  British  officers  seem  to  have 
desired  that  the  partisan  should  be  willing  to  con- 
sider himself  a  soldier  bound  by  fantastical  rules, 
until  taken.  The  process  of  capture  changed  their 
character  into  rebels,  and  they  were  then  expected 
to  submit  to  hanging  without  complaint.  It  is  said 
that  Marion  answered  the  officer  who  came  to  him 
with  Watson's  flag  that,  "  from  what  he  had  known 
of  them,  the  British  officers  were  the  last  men  on 
earth  who  should  talk  to  others  about  honour  and 
humanity.  That  for  men  who  came  three  thousand 
miles  to  burn  the  houses  of  innocent  people,  plun- 
der and  hang  their  prisoners,  to  undertake  to  tell 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  177 

that  people  how  they  should  fight,  was  an  addition 
of  impertinent  insult  which  he  was  unprepared  to 
expect.  And  he  concluded  by  v\  arning  the  officer 
chat  he  considered  it  his  duty  to  rid  the  country  of 
such  invaders,  as  he  would  of  wolves  and  panthers!" 
During  this  day  Macdonald,  of  whose  feats  we 
have  before  spoken,  was  employed  in  reconnoitre- 
ing.  He  performed  this  duty  in  the  usual  daring 
method  which  the  partisan  scouts  delighted  to  prac- 
tise ;  and  when  ready  to  return,  could  not  persuade 
himself  to  do  it  till  he  had  signalized  the  day's 
work  by  some  deed  which  should  cause  him  to  be 
remembered.  Knowing  the  path  which  the  British 
guard  would  take  to  relieve  their  sentinels,  he  placed 
himself  in  a  bushy  tree  which  commanded  the  route, 
and,  having  his  gun  loaded  with  pistol-bullets,  fired 
upon  the  party  as  it  passed.  The  discharge  killed 
one  man,  and  badly  wounded  Lieutenant  Torriano. 
The  guard,  supposing  of  course  that  they  had  fallen 
into  an  ambuscade,  made  the  best  of  their  way  out, 
with  their  killed  and  wounded ;  and  Macdonald 
returned  in  safety  to  the  American  camp.  Such 
an  act  as  this  of  Macdonald's  could,  however,  be 
excused  only  from  the  peculiar  character  of  the 
warfare  in  which  he  was  engaged  ;  and  the  mind 
oi  the  reader  now  revolts  from  giving  it  the  unal- 
loyed praise  which  it  seems  to  have  received  from 

M 


1 78  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

the  contemporaries  of  the  daring    Serjeant  Mao 
donald. 

On  the  day  following,  another  flag  came  to  Ma 
rion  from  Watson,  requesting  a  passport  for  Lieu- 
tenant Torriano,  the. wounded  officer,  to  Charleston. 
This  Marion  readily  granted.  By  the  same  flag 
which  carried  back  Torriano's  passport,  Serjeant 
Macdonald  sent  a  curious  message  to  Watson.  It 
appears  that  the  Serjeant,  in  the  hurried  move- 
ments of  the  last  few  days,  had  left  his  knapsack 
and  entire  wardrobe  where  it  fell  into  the  hands  ot 
the  enemy.  Macdonald,  in  his 'message  to  Colonel 
Watson,  informed  him  that  unless  his  wardrobe 
was  returned  to  him  he  should,  in  retaliation,  kill 
eight  of  his  men!  Colonel  Watson  was  disposed 
to  treat  the  message  with  contempt ;  but  the  recent 
disaster  of  his  lieutenant  by  the  hands  of  the  Ser- 
jeant, and  the  representations  of  his  officers  that 
from  the  daring  character  of  the  man  he  would 
certainly  keep  his  word,  induced  the  British  com- 
mander to  comply  with  the  request.  When  the 
clothes  appeared,  Macdonald .  to  amuse  himself  still 
further  with  the  irritation  of  the  British  officer, 
directed  the  bearer  to  say  to  Colonel  Watson, 
"  Now  1  will  only  kill  four." 

Effectually  baffled,  finding  it  impossible  to  cress 
the  river,  and  discovering  that  any  position  was 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  1 79 

unsafe  which  was  in  the  vicinity  of  a  clump  of  trees 
capable  of  sheltering  a  single  sharp-shooter,  Watson 
encamped  at  last  in  the  middle  of  the  most  open 
field,  he  could  find.  Here  for  ten  days  he  was  abso- 
lutely besieged  and  shut  in  by  the  General  whom 
he  had  been  despatched  to  catch.  His  encampment 
was  on  Blakely's  plantation.  To  add  to  his  dis- 
comfort, the  cavalry  of  Marion  were  continually 
dashing  up  to  his  very  lines,  as  if  to  make  an 
assault  at  once ;  and  it  was  a  hazardous  experiment 
for  a  man  to  expose  himself  to  Marion's  rifles,  which 
seemed,  by  a  sort  of  ubiquity,  to  command  him  on 
every  side.  Tantalized  by  an  enemy  whom  they 
could  not  reach — harassed  day  and  night ;  his  sup- 
plies cut  off — all  intelligence  intercepted ;  and  his 
men  daily  diminishing  in  the  unremitting  skir- 
mishing which  Marion  forced  upon  him  at  all 
hours,  he  was  forced  at  last  to  decamp.  He  was 
completely  out-generalled.  To  stay  was  death ;  to 
move  was  danger. 

He  moved  off  silently  in  the  night,  and  took  the 
road  toward  Georgetown.  He  was  harassed  at 
every  step  of  the  march  b\  light  parties  of  the 
Americans;  and  when  he  reached  Ox  Swamp,  found 
them  posted  in  force  to  receive  and  give  him  battle. 
To  attempt  to  pass  on  a  route  thus  guarded  would 
have  been  madness ;  and  Watson  suddenly  changed 


1 80  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

his  direction,  and  reached  the  Santee  road  ly  a 
forced  march.  By  this  movement,  executed  with 
a  great  deal  of  rapidity,  he  left  Marion's  force  a 
good  distance  behind ;  and  when  Marion  overtook 
him,  he  found  him  in  full  flight,  his  infantry  abso- 
lute ly  running.  Still  they  preserved  their  disci- 
pline, and  occasionally  wheeled  and  saluted  their 
pursuers  with  a  fire,  which,  however,  did  but  little 
injury. 

The  great  object  was  to  gain  Sampit  Bridge. 
Here  Marion  had,  however,  placed  a  party  in 
advance;  and  it  was  the  cowardice  of  one  man 
which  saved  Watson's  detachment.  A  certain  Lieu- 
tenant Scott  had  been  posted  with  a  command  of 
rifles  in  ambush,  to  fire  upon  the  British  as  they 
crossed  the  ford.  Had  he  done  his  duty,  their  de- 
struction would  have  been  complete.  But  he  was 
afraid  of  being  surrounded  and  cut  to  pieces — and 
withheld  the  fire  of  his  men.  Marion,  with  the 
main  body,  overtook  Watson  at  the  ford,  and  com- 
menced a  furious  attack  on  his  rear,  which  was 
short,  sharp,  and  bloody.  Watson  lost  his  horse, 
and  barely  escaped  himself.  Twenty  of  his  men 
were  killed,  and  a  large  number  wounded. 

He  succeeded,  however,  m  getting  over,  and 
pushed  on  to  Georgetown,  thoroughly  harassed  and 
spirit-broken  by  soldiers  who  "  would  not  fight  like 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  131 

gentlemen!"  Had  lieutenant  Scott  obeyed  the 
orders  of  Horry,  under  whose  immediate  command 
he  was,  Colonel  Watson  would  not  only  have  been 
bafrled  and  driven  back  by  Marion,  but  his  detach- 
ment would  have  been  entirely  cut  to  pieces,  and 
he  would  himself  have  been  killed  or  taken.  He 
escaped  this  affair  to  have  more  experience  of  the 
tactics  of  the  ablest  partisan  general  in  the  South. 


J82  LIFE    OF    MARION. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Capture  of  Marion's  Stronghold — Retreat  of  Colonel  Doyle-— Marion 
seeks  Watson — Good  news  to  the  Whigs — Retreat  of  Watson — Bat- 
tle of  Camden — Fall  of  Fort  Motte — A  Heroic  Lady — Hanging  of 
Prisoners  —  British  Evacuation  of  Georgetown  —  Abandonment  of 
Seventy-Six — Daring  Movements  of  the  Partisans — Battle  of  Jumby 
— Rescue  of  Colonel  Harden — Defeat  of  Major  Frazier — Battle  of 
Eutaw. 

IHILE  Marion  had  been  so  busily 
engraaed  with  Watson,  his  force  was 
not  sufficient  properly  to  defend  his 
encampment  on  Snow's  Island :  and 
Colonel  Doyle  succeeded  in  penetrating  to 
that  famous  retreat;  mastering  the  small 
force  there  garrisoned,  and  destroying  the 
stores — not  large  in  quantity,  but  the  more 
valuable  for  their  scarceness.  Marion  instantl} 
determined  upon  the  pursuit  of  Doyle ;  but  that 
officer  did  not  wait  for  the  annoyance  which  Marion 
had  inflicted  upon  Watson.  He  retreated  at  once, 
after  a  slight  encounter  with  Marion,  toward 
Camden. 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  1 83 

Watson,  stung  with  his  defeat,  soon  sallied  out 
from  Georgetown,  with  a  reinforcement,  and  farther 
strengthened  himself  with  a  large  body  of  Tories. 
Beside  the  commands  of  Watson  and  Doyle,  there 
was  still  another  party  in  pursuit  of  Marion.  His 
prospects  were  never  darker ;  but  he  was  deter- 
mined, in  the  worst  event,  to  retreat  to  the  moun- 
tains, and  still  keep  the  field ;  and  in  this  resolution 
his  men  seconded  him,  and  pledged  him  their  sup- 
port. At  this  moment,  it  must  be  recollected, 
Marion's  was  the  only  American  force  in  the  field. 

Finding  Doyle  too  quick  in  his  retreat  to  be  over- 
taken, Marion  wheeled,  and  sought  another  brush 
with  Watson.  He  encamped  within  five  miles  of 
the  British  force,  at  Warhees,  in  what  is  now  called 
Marion  County.  Watson,  though  his  force  was 
double  that  of  Marion,  did  not  seek  an  encrairement : 
nor  could  Marion  exhibit  much  activity,  as  his 
ammunition  would  not  hold  out  two  rounds  to  a 
man.  In  this  posture  of  affairs,  Marion  received 
the  agreeable  intelligence  that  Greene  was  advanc- 
ing again  into  South  Carolina,  and  that  Lee  was 
returning  to  join  him  with  his  legion.  Watson  was 
no  less  interested  than  Marion  in  these  events;  and 
started  off  to  join  Lord  Rawdon,  at  Camden,  by  a 
route  the  tortuous  indirectness  of  which  would  have 
done  hmour  to  the  "  swamp  fox"  himself.    Watson 


1 84  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

had  no  inclination  to  be  overtaken  or  waylaid,  and 
escaped — burning  his  baggage,  and  wheeling  his 
artillery  into  a  creek,  that  it  might  not  impede  his 
flight.  Marion  was  persuaded  by  Lee,  who  had 
now  joined  him,  not  to  pursue;  and  much  against 
his  will,  consented  to  refrain. 

The  conjoined  force  of  Marion  and  Lee  next 
attacked  Fort  Watson  —  which  was  situated  on 
Scott's  Lake,  near  the  junction  of  the  Congaree 
and  Wateree  rivers.  It  was  a  stockade  fort,  gar- 
risoned by  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  men.  It 
had  great  advantages  of  position,  being  built  upon 
a  high  mound,  but  no  artillery  was  mounted  in  it. 
Nor  were  its  besiegers  any  better  provided  in  this 
particular,  as  they  had  not  so  much  as  a  field-piece. 
To  storm  the  place  was  out  of  the  question ;  and 
to  reduce  it  by  blockade  was  a  dilatory  process,  lia- 
ble to  be  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  relief.  A 
happy  expedient,  after  eight  days'  delay,  occurred 
to  the  besiegers.  They  emulated  the  ancient  war- 
riors, by  building  an  overlooking  tower.  Felling  a 
wood  in  the  night,  and  piling  the  logs  in  alternate 
layers,  the  besiegers  astonished  the  besieged  in  the. 
morning  by  raining  down  upon  them  a  shower  of 
rifle-balls,  against  which  their  over-topped  defences 
afforded  no  shelter.  Under  cover  of  this  fire,  a 
party  of  assailants,  composed  of  volunteers   from 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  185 

the  militia,  and  from  Lee's  continentals,  ascended 
the  mound,  and  proceeded  to  destroy  the  abattis. 
This  movement  brought  the  besieged  to  terms,  and 
the  garrison  capitulated. 

Other  successes  attended  parties  of  Marion's 
men  in  different  directions ;  but  the  despatch  of 
detachments  made  his  own  immediate  force  small. 
He  was  thus  prevented  from  intercepting  Watson, 
as  he  mio-ht  have  done  had  he  been  in  force,  before 
he  reached  Camden ;  for,  as  we  have  already  stated, 
Watson  took  a  course  which,  while  it  eluded  pur- 
suit, trebled  his  journey.  The  appearance  of  Marion 
in  the  vicinity  of  Camden  brought  on  a  battle  be- 
tween the  two  armies,  commanded  by  Greene  and 
Rawdon.  It  was  not  decisive,  for,  though  Rawdon 
kept  the  field,  Greene  lost  nothing  more  than  his 
antagonist,  except  the  nominal  victory. 

The  next  action  of  importance  in  which  Marion 
was  eii£ao;ed,  was  in  the  reduction  of  Fort  Motte. 
This  was  an  important  depot  on  the  route  from 
Charleston  to  Camden,  and  was  a  mansion-house 
belonging  to  Mrs.  Motte,  appropriated  by  the  Bri- 
tish, and  surrounded  with  defences.  It  had  a  orar- 
rison  of  about  two  hundred  men.  On  the  20th  of 
May,  Marion  summoned  it  to  surrender;  and  the 
British  commander,  Colonel  McPherson,  declared 
his  determination  to  stand  a  sieo*e.     He  was  tne 


186  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

more  encouraged  to  do  this,  as  Lord  Rawdon,  hav. 
ing  abandoned  and  fired  Camden,  was  advancing 
to  the  relief  of  the  fort.  Nay,  his  fires  at  night,  as 
he  encamped,  were  discerned.  Marion  saw  that 
there  was  no  time  for  battering  down  the  defences 
with  his  single  six-pounder.  He  resorted  to  tho 
expedient  of  firing  the  house.  To  the  immortal 
honour  of  the  lady  who  owned  it,  Mrs.  Motte,  it  is 
related  that  she  not  only  cheerfully  assented  to  the 
destruction  of  her  house,  but  furnished  the  imple- 
ments, a  bow  and  arrows,  with  which  it  was  effected. 
They  were  shot  at  the  roof,  with  combustibles  at- 
tached, and  the  building  was  fired  in  three  places. 
McPherson  sent  parties  to  the  roof  to  stay  the 
flames ;  but  these  were  soon  driven  down  by  Ma- 
rion's six-pounder,  and  the  garrison  begged  for 
quarter,  which  was  acceded  to  them.  In  this  siege 
Marion  lost  two  valuable  officers,  lieutenants  Con- 
yersand  Macdonald.  The  gallant  serjeant  had  been 
promoted  to  a  lieutenancy. 

Mrs.  Motte  gave,  on  the  day  after  the  capitula- 
tion, a  sumptuous  dinner  to  the  officers  of  both 
armies.  While  seated  at  the  table,  Marion  was 
horror-stricken  by  the  intelligence  that  some  of  the 
Americans  were  hanging  Tory  prisoners.  The 
news  was  not  communicated  aloud ;  but  Marion'3 
officers,  seeing  him  snatch  his  sword  and  leave  the 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  187 

table,  followed  him  in  all  haste,  and  were  horror- 
struck  to  find  a  poor  wretch  hanging  apparently  in 
the  last  agonies.  Their  timely  arrival  saved  his 
life ;  but  two  were  hanged  past  recovery.  With  an 
indignation  which  words  could  hardly  express,  Ma- 
rion put  a  stop  to  this  horrid  barbarity,  threatening 
to  kill  the  next  man  who  attempted  it ;  and  placed 
a  strong  guard  over  the  Tory  prisoners  for  their 
protection.  To  such  a  terrible  pitch  had  partisan 
warfare  wrought  the  animosity  of  the  combatants, 
that  it  is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  that  these  men, 
obnoxious  and  well  known  as  they  had  been  for 
their  cruelty  to  Whig  prisoners,  should  meet  such 
fearful  retribution.  It  is  fearful  even  to  think  of 
the  brutalizing  effects  of  civil  war. 

While  Marion  was,  with  Lee,  reducing  forts 
Watson  and  Motte,  Sumpter  had  returned  similar 
accounts  of  the  British  posts  at  Orangeburg  and 
Granby.  These  losses  induced  the  abandonment 
of  Camden  by  the  British.  General  Greene,  after 
Lord  Rawdon  left  Camden,  proceeded  against  the 
post  of  Seventy-Six,  at  the  village  of  Cambridge 
Marion  meanwhile  undertook  to  invest  Georgetown, 
and  appeared  before  that  place  on  the  6th  of  June. 
The  besieged  did  not  wait  to  be  pushed  to  extre mi- 
nes, but  abandoned  the  post;  retreating  first  to  their 
galleys  and  then  left  the  harbour  altogether      Ma- 


188  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

rion  demolished  the  British  works,  and  removed  the 
stores  and  public  property,  a  most  seasonable  cap- 
ture, to  a  place  of  security  up  the  river.  Thus  was 
this  long-cherished  desire  of  Marion's  accomplished ; 
and,  as  if  in  honour  of  the  occasion,  he  treated 
himself  to  a  suit  of  regimentals  and  camp  equipage 
■ — an  indulgence  which  formed  an  era  in  the  life  of 
our  self-denying  partisan. 

The  abandonment  of  Seventy-Six  by  the  British 
was  the  next  important  event,  Lord  Ilawdon,  with 
a  strong  force  of  new  troops,  which  had  just  reached 
Charleston,  forced  Greene  to  abandon  the  siege ;  and 
this  point  of  military  honour  achieved,  himself  re- 
linquished  the  post,  and  fell  back  with  its  garrison 
to  Orangeburg-.  This  was  a  bitter  event  for  the 
Tories  who  had  rested  under  the  shadow  and  pro- 
tection of  this  post,  as  they  were  compelled  to  aban- 
don their  homes,  and  follow  the  retreating  army. 
Adverse  events  now  crowded  upon  the  British. 
They  were  too  strongly  posted  at  Orangeburg  to 
be  attacked  there ;  and  Greene  ordered  Marion  and 
his  famous  compatriots  to  drive  in  the  enemy  from 
their  smaller  stations.  So  effectually  was  this  task 
performed,  that  the  British  rule  was  for  a  brief  time 
swept  away  to  the  very  gates  of  Charleston.  Au- 
gusta had  been  recovered  by  the  Americans  under 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  189 

Pickens  and  Lee,  and  the  enemy  were  now  becom- 
ing daily  more  and  more  straitened. 

The  British  had  so  long  considered  Charleston  as 
permanently  theirs,  that  they  were  dismayed  to  find 
the  Americans  seizing  the  posts  almost  within  hai? 
of  the  city.  Colonel  Wade  Hampton  even  dashed 
within  the  city  lines,  and  captured  the  guard  and 
patrol  at  the  Quarter  House.  Marion  and  Sumter 
moved  against  Colonel  Coates,  who  was  posted  at 
Biggin's  Creek,  one  of  the  streams  which  empty 
into  Cooper  River;  and  active  generalship  was  put 
in  requisition  to  defend,  on  the  British  side,  and  on 
the  other  to  attempt  to  destroy,  the  bridge  over 
Watboo  Creek,  another  of  the  streams  which  run 
into  the  Cooper.  Colonel  Horry  undertook  this 
work  on  the  16th  of  July,  and  had  nearly  suc- 
ceeded, having  once  driven  off  the  guard,  when  the 
enemy  re-appeared  in  force,  and  drove  him  back. 
But  while  the  enemy  made  a  feint  of  preparing 
for  battle,  at  midnight  setting  fire  to  their  stores, 
they  moved  off  silently  toward  Charleston.  Marion's 
cavalry  had  now  arrived,  and  the  British  were  over- 
taken at  Quinby  Creek.  The  main  body  of  the 
army  had  passed  over  the  bridge,  and  every  pre- 
paration was  made  for  its  destruction,  as  soon  as  the 
tear  guard  with  the  baggage  should  have  passed. 


1'JO  LIFE    OF     MARION, 

Marion  and  Lee's  cavalry  charged  upon  the  guard 
so  furiously,  that  they  surrendered  without  firing  a 
gun.  The  Americans  rushed  on  to  the  bridge.  A 
howitzer  was  stationed  at  the  other  end,  and  the 
presence  of  the  British  soldiers,  who  were  on  the 
bridge  in  the  work  of  demolition,  alone  stayed  its 
lire.  A  portion  of  the  cavalry  dashed  over,  and 
secured  the  gun.  But  the  British  were  recovering 
themselves  in  front ;  a  portion  of  the  American 
force  had  halted ;  the  brave  fellows  who  had  seized 
the  gun  were  unsupported,  and  finding  it  madness 
to  remain,  they  abandoned  their  position.  Had  the 
whole  American  force  followed  their  example,  and 
pushed  over  the  bridge,  the  British,  so  crowded 
were  they,  must  have  yielded.  Colonel  Coates, 
after  destroying  the  bridge,  fell  back  upon  a  neigh- 
bouring plantation,  where  he  could  have  the  shelter 
of  the  bu,  dings,  and  be  secure  against  the  despe- 
rate charge,  of  the  American  cavalry. 

Sumter,  with  the  main  body  of  the  American 
army,  reached  the  ground  in  the  afternoon ;  and 
that  impetuous  officer,  against  the  advice  of  Marion, 
determined  upon  an  attack  on  Colonel  Coates  in  his 
strong  position.  Unfortunately,  in  the  eagerness 
of  his  march,  Sumter  had  left  his  field-piece  behind. 
The  Amer  :an   soldiers   behaved  with  great  gal- 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  191 

Lantry, —  Marion's  brigade  particularly,  of  whom 
more  than  fifty  were  killed  or  wounded.  After  an 
engagement  of  four  hours'  duration,  the  Americans 
were  compelled  to  cease  for  want  of  ammunition ; 
and  as  tidings  were  received  of  the  approach  ot 
Lord  Rawdon,  the  Americans  deemed  it  prudent  to 
retreat  beyond  the  Santee.  Though  accomplishing 
no  positive  victory  in  this  affair,  the  American 
troops  did  themselves  high  honour ;  the  South 
Carolina  militia  particularly,  under  command  of 
favourite  leaders,  behaving  like  veterans. 

It  was  now  midsummer,  and  for  more  than  a 
month  few  operations  of  any  importance  took  place 
in  the  movements  of  the  troops.  To  this  period  in 
the  history  of  the  war  belongs  the  account  of  the 
execution  of  Colonel  Hayne,  which  we  have  given 
in  a  preceding  chapter.  We  refer  to  it  now  only  to 
say  that  its  occurrence,  striking  horror  to  the  hearts 
of  the  British  as  well  as  American  officers,  put  a 
stop  to  such  proceedings  thereafter.  The  Ameri- 
cans had  become  something  more  than  rebels,  and 
the  tone  of  the  British  was  becoming  more  respect 
ful  and  conciliatory. 

This  summer  was  performed  one  of  the  most 
memorable  feats  of  Marion.  Several  detachments 
of  the  American  troops  were  occupied  in  various 


192  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

parts  of  the  state,  in  checking  the  foraging  opera 
tions  of  the  British,  and  in  providing  supplies  for 
the  American  army.  One  of  these  parties,  com- 
posed of  mounted  militia,  was  upon  the  Edisto, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Harden.  Marion  learned 
that  he  was  closely  pressed  by  a  British  party  of  five 
hundred  menv  and  determined  to  attempt  his  relief. 
With  a  party  of  two  hundred  picked  men,  our  in- 
defatigable partisan  stole  across  the  country — pass- 
ing two  of  the  enemy's  lines  of  communication — a 
distance  of  one  hundred  miles.  Before  the  enemy 
suspected  his  approach  or  presence,  he  decoyed 
them  into  an  ambush ;  they  supposing  his  men 
were  Harden's,  of  whom  they  were  in  pursuit.  The 
British,  commanded  by  Major  Frazier,  were  sadly 
cut  to  pieces,  and  would  probably  have  been  com- 
pletely defeated,  but  for  the  failure  of  ammunition. 
Colonel  Harden  thus  relieved,  Marion  returned  in 
safety  by  the  same  route ;  and  after  his  return  per- 
formed several  circuitous  and  troublesome  marches 
before  he  was  finally  posted,  in  advance  of  General 
Greene.  All  this  occupied  only  about  six  days. 
Congress  passed  a  series  of  resolutions,  thanking 
Marion  and  his  men  for  the  gallant  achievement ; 
and  by  these  resolutions  we  learn  that  the  affair  of 
Parker's  Ferry,  in  which  Frazier  was  so  roughly 
handled,  occurred  on  the  31st  of  August. 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  J  93 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1781,  the  battle  of 
Eutaw  Springs  took  place — the  engagement  which 
effectually  crippled  the  British  power  in  the  South. 
The  British  were  under  command  of  General 
Stewart,  Lord  Rawdon  having  left  Charleston. 
They  were  strongly  posted,  and  so  little  apprehen- 
sive of  an  attack,  that  a  party  of  a  hundred  men 
were  sent  out,  unarmed,  to  gather  sweet  potatoes 
on  the  very  line  of  Greene's  advance.  Discovering 
their  danger,  Stewart  despatched  a  party  of  cavalry 
to  protect  and  recall  them.  Colonel  Coffin,  who  com- 
manded this  party,  met  the  American  advance,  and, 
mistaking  its  strength,  charged  boldly.  He  was 
easily  repulsed,  and  the  foraging  party  were  all 
made  prisoners. 

The  Americans  also  made  a  mistake.  While 
Coffin  had  charged,  supposing  he  was  attacking  a 
small  body,  he  did  it  with  such  confidence  that  the 
Americans  imagined  they  were  encountered  by  the 
British  advance,  and  immediately  formed  in  order 
of  battle.  Moving  forward  steadily,  they  drove  on 
the  British  advance  parties  until  the  main  body, 
displayed  in  order,  and  waiting  to  receive  the 
Americans,  sheltered  the  fugitives.  The  American 
militia  went  into  the  engagement  with  a  steadiness 
and  courage  which  would  have  done  honour  to  any 

N 


1 91  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

soldiers  in  the  world.  At  length  a  portion  of  the 
troops  recoiled,  from  the  heavy  fire  to  which  in 
their  position  they  were  peculiarly  exposed.  Tlio 
British  hurried  forward,  sure  of  victory.  The 
advantage  of  their  broken  line  was  seized  —  the 
Maryland  militia  were  ordered  to  charge  with  the 
bayonet,  and  obeyed  with  a  shout.  A  destructive 
fire  was  at  the  same  time  poured  in,  both  from  the 
front  and  on  the  flank  ;  the  enemy  broke  and  fled, 
and  the  Americans  with  shouts  of  victory  pressed 
forward. 

But  a  party  of  the  British  had  thrown  themselves 
into  a  brick  dwelling  a,nd  its  offices,  whence  it 
was  necessary  to  dislodge  them  ere  the  victory  was 
complete ;  and  Major  Majoribanks,  a  British  officer 
of  great  courage  -and  coolness,  still  held  a  whole 
battalion  in  reserve  in  the  thick  woods  on  Eutaw 
Creek.  He  had  twice  repulsed  a  charge  of  the 
American  cavalry  under  Colonel  Washington,  and 
made  that  officer  prisoner.  The  victorious  Ameri- 
cans now  rushed  forward  with  such  impetuositv 
that  the  British  had  absolutely  to  close  the  doors 
of  the  house  before  mentioned  upon  friends  and 
foes,  who  were  pushing  in  together.  Majoribankg 
was  on  the  point  of  being  cut  to  pieces  or  captured, 
with   his  battalion,  whim  an  unfortunate  circum- 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  195 

stance  reversed  the  day.  The  Americans  pursued 
the  enemy  directly  through  the  abandoned  camp. 
Refreshments  were  strewed  about  in  abundance, 
and  the  hungry  victors  dallied  to  enter  the  tents 
and  partake.  The  British  saw  the  error,  and  ral- 
lied. The  muskets  in  the  house  commanded  the 
encampment;  and  the  American  soldiers  were  abso- 
lutely entrapped  in  the  enemy's  tents.  Every  he-Ad 
which  protruded  from  under  the  canvass  was  the 
mark  for  a  shower  of  bullets.  Majoribanks  now 
issued  from  the  thicket,  and  his  battalion  formed  a 
rallying  point.  General  Greene  saw  the  extent 
of  the  disaster,  and  devoted  his  energies  to  brin£- 
ing  off  his  men.  The  British  retained  possession 
of  the  field.  But  the  Americans  took  and  retained 
five  hundred  prisoners.  The  loss  on  the  American 
side  was  sixty-one  officers,  killed  and  wounded, 
over  twenty  of  whom  died  upon  the  field.  The 
returns  state  a  loss  of  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
killed,  three  hundred  wounded,  and  forty  missing. 
The  terrible  slaughter  of  officers  occurred  prin- 
cipally in  the  British  camp,  in  efforts  to  bring  off 
the  men.  The  British  lost  a  thousand  men,  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing.  The  respective  force 
of  each  army  was  nearly  the  same  —  about  two 
thousand  men ;  and  the  advantage  in  numbers  was 


196  LIFE     OF     MARION. 

probably  with  the  British,  who  were,  moreover 
chiefly  veterans;  and  wonderfully  well,  under  Ma- 
joribanks  and  Coffin,  did  they  behave.  Both  sides 
claimed  the  victory;  and  Greene  proposed  *o  renew 
the  engagement  on  the  next  day.  Stewart,  how- 
ever, did  not  wait  for  this,  but,  destroying  his  stores, 
and  leaving  his  wounded  behind,  and  his  dead 
uiibnried,  commenced  a  retreat 


LIFE    OF     MARION 


197 


CHAPTER  XV 

Position  of  Affairs  at  the  close  of  the  year  1781 — Attempt  on  Marion  a 
Detachment  in  his  Absence — His  unexpected  Return,  and  Repuxse 
of  the  Enemy — Meeting-  of  the  Legislature — Surprise  of  Marion's 
Brigade — Defeat  of  the  Loyalists  on  the  Pedee — Defeat  of  the  British 
under  Frazier — Death  of  Colonel  Laurens — Evacuation  of  Charleston 
— Conclusion. 


HE  year  1781  closed  with  decided 
advantage  to  the  American  cause  in 
South  Carolina,  as  elsewhere.  It  is 
true  that,  after  the  battle  of  Eutaw, 
no  very  decided  or  important  action  took 
place ;  but  the  news  of  the  surrender  of 
Cornwallis  put  new  hope  and  spirit  into  the 
hearts  of  the  American  leaders  —  while  it 
limitea  the  British  operations  to  the  defensive.  The 
end  was  now  not  dimly  visible;  and  the  movements 
of  the  enemy  were  confined  to  forage  and  support, 
and  to  resistance  of  the  restless  and  indefatigable 
manoeuvres  of  the  American  force,  which  were 
constantly  circumscribing  the  British,  and  at  length 
hemmed  them  in  upon  the  narrow  neck  of  land 


198  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

contiguous  to  Charleston.  We  have  not  space  to 
describe  all  the  evolutions  by  which  this  blockade 
was  effected ;  nor  to  relate  the  different  events 
which  combined  to  produce  an  issue  so  desirable. 
Yet,  in  all  this  state  of  apparent  prosperity,  the 
Americans  were  in  a  condition  unfit  to  cope  with 
the  enemy.  The  regiments  were  thin,  the  active 
character  of  the  American  volunteers  not  sympa- 
thizing with  the  duties  of  an  army  of  observation ; 
and  any  dashing  movement  on  a  large  scale  was 
forbidden  by  the  lack  of  military  stores,  which 
now,  as  at  most  periods  during  the  war,  crippled 
the  enterprise  of  the  commanders.  The  British 
forces  at  the  same  time  were  increased  by  the 
arrival  of  reinforcements  from  abroad,  and  from 
other  points  in  America;  and  their  numbers  and 
the  loyalists,  who  had  been  forced  back  upon 
Charleston  by  the  recovery  of  the  state  by  the 
Americans,  made  the  position  of  the  British  a  most 
strait  and  uncomfortable  one.  The  British  com- 
mander was  compelled  to  kill  two  hundred  of  his 
horses,  from  inability  to  procure  feed  for  them,  so 
closely  was  he  hemmed  in  by  the  vigilance  of  the 
Americans.  And  yet  no  small  portion  of  this  vigi- 
lance and  activity  was  displayed  as  much  to  pre- 
vent the  British  from  discovering  the  real  weakness 
}f  their  besiegers,  as  for  any  other  purpose. 


LIFE    OF     MARION.  199 

Marion  held  one  of  the  advanced  posts ;  and  the 
British  general  paid  an  expressive  tribute  to  the 
character  of  his  generalship,  and  the  importance 
of  his  presence.  General  Greene  had  reason  tc 
suppose  that  General  Leslie,  who  was  in  command 
of  Charleston,  meditated  a  vigorous  movement,  to 
break  the  cordon  which  so  closely  shut  him  in. 
Greene,  wishing;  the  advice  of  Marion,  and  the  aid 
of  his  force,  ordered  our  hero  immed  .ately  to  repair 
to  head-quarters.  Now  it  happened  that  Greene 
was  deceived  respecting  Leslie's  purposes.  He  had 
no  intention  of  the  kind  that  was  supposed,  being 
entirely  ignorant  of  Greene's  weakness.  No  sooner 
were  the  British  advised  of  Marion's  absence 
from  his  detachment,  than  a  force  was  despatched 
from  Charleston  to  attack  it.  But  Marion,  who 
was  always  watchful  of  events,  and  who,  without 
vanity,  was  well  aware  of  the  consequence  which 
the  British  attached  to  his  movements,  anticipated 
this  design  of  theirs.  Finding  that  there  was  no 
need  of  his  presence  in  General  Greene's  camp, 
he  hastened  back  in  season  to  give  the  British  bat- 
tle. The  attack  was  made :  the  encounter  was 
sharp,  and  the  loss  on  both  sides,  for  a  brief  skir- 
mish, was  severe;  but  the  British,  who  were  sent 
out  with  a  heavy  force  to  capture  a  small  detach- 
ment were  forced  to  be  cc  ntent  with  driving  back 


200  LIFE    OF     MARION. 

a  few  head  of  cattle.     Captain  Campbell,  of  the 
British  army,  fell  in  this  engagement. 

On  the  18th  of  January,  1782,  the  South  Carolina 
Legislature  was  summoned  by  Governor  Rutledge 
to  meet  at  Jacksonburg,  almost  within  striking  dis- 
tance of  the  British  army  in  Charleston.  This 
position  was  chosen  to  assert  the  recovery  of  the 
state,  and  to  show  the  people  the  confidence  which 
their  leaders  possessed  in  the  security  of  the  re- 
establishment  of  the  government.  The  army  was 
so  posted  as  to  prevent  attack,  should  it  be  medi 
tated. 

The  presence  of  Marion  was  absolutely  necessary 
in  the  Legislature,  as  important  measures  were 
before  that  body,  at  a  juncture  so  critical.  But  his 
absence  from  his  brigade  was  the  occasion  of  a  dis- 
aster which  had  nearly  been  complete  in  its  destruc- 
tion. There  was  an  unfortunate  difference  between 
colonels  Horry  and  Maham,  touching  the  prece- 
dence of  rank ;  and  Maham,  claiming  that  his 
command  was  separate,  removed  his  corps  from  the 
brigade,  and  encamped  at  a  distance  from  it.  The 
British,  knowing  the  absence  of  Marion,  and  ap- 
prised perhaps  of  the  difficulty  between  those  offi- 
cers, despatched  an  expedition  against  the  brigade. 
Marion,  who  hurried  from  Jacksonburg  to  join  his 
brigade,  went  first  to  the  ground  where  Maham's 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  201 

separate  command  was  posted.  Here  he  was  de- 
ceived by  the  false  intelligence  that  the  British 
were  retreating ;  and  pausing  to  rest  after  his  hard 
ride,  was  in  a  little  while  mortified  by  the  intelli- 
gence that  his  brigade  had  been  surprised  and  dis- 
persed. 

Marion  instantly  put  himself  at  the  head  of 
Maham's  regiment,  and  moved  rapidly  toward  the 
scene  of  the  disaster,  to  repair  the  defeat,  or  arrest 
it  if  possible.  His  active  movements  and  bold 
attacks  had  nearly  converted  the  defeat  into  a  vic- 
tory ;  but,  a  sudden  panic  seizing  his  men,  he  lost, 
what  he  styles  in  his  despatches,  "  a  glorious  oppor- 
tunity of  cutting  up  the  British  cavalry."  At  the 
very  moment  of  the  charge,  his  horse,  instead  of 
attacking  the  enemy,  dashed  off  into  the  woods  to 
the  right — and  the  whole  regiment  followed.  Ma- 
rion even  in  this  desperate  case  succeeded  in  rally- 
ing his  men  in  a  wood,  and  checking  the  pursuit 
of  the  British.  The  enemy  did  not  press  the  vic- 
tory, but  fell  back  to  Charleston.  The  loss  of  the 
Americans  in  this  affair  was  not  very  great;  the 
charm  of  success  had,  however,  been  broken,  and 
the  reliance  of  the  men  on  each  other  was  impaired. 
A  great  number  of  the  volunteers  did  not  return 
to  their  flag.  The  thinness  of  the  ranks  made  it 
expedient  to  unite  both  raiments  into  one;  and  of 


202  LIFE    OF     MARION. 

this  Maham  received  the  command.  Marion  would 
gladly  have  given  it  to  Horry,  but  considered  the 
right  clearly  with  the  other.  Horry  resigned  his 
commission,  and  was  appointed  by  Marion  com- 
mandant at  Georgetown. 

We  find  Marion  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1782 
engaged  in  the  suppression  of  certain  Tory  move- 
ments on  the  Pedee.  British  emissaries  had  in- 
cited the  loyalists  there  to  insurrection.  The  sudden 
appearance  of  Marion,  who  presented  himself  before 
his  approach  was  suspected,  at  once  checked  the 
movement  of  the  loyalists.  Five  hundred  men  at 
once  laid  down  their  arms,  and  bound  themselves 
to  abjure  the  British  crown,  and  to  swear  allegiance 
to  the  United  States,  and  to  South  Carolina  in  par- 
ticular; to  take  up  arms  for  the  state  if  it  should  be 
required,  and  in  all  respects  to  demean  themselves 
as  submissive  citizens.  Many  of  them,  and  among 
the  rest  the  notorious  Colonel  Gainey,  did  after- 
ward serve  in  the  American  army.  Those  who 
subscribed  the  conditions  of  the  treaty  which  had 
been  made  between  Marion  and  the  loyalists  were 
furnished  with  written  guarantees  to  that  effect; 
and  it  is  stated  that  such  was  the  demand  for  paper, 
and  the  insufficiency  of  the  supply,  that  old  letters 
were  torn  up,  and  their  blank  pages  used  for  this 
purpose. 


LIFE     OF     MARION.  203 

Marion  exhibited  great  policy  and  humanity  in 
this  business.  Some  of  the  most  troublesome  and 
notorious  Tories  were  exempted  from  the  terms  of 
the  treaty.  One  of  these,  a  troublesome  freebooter, 
named  Fanning,  sent  a  flag  to  Marion,  beo-amor  that 
his  wife  and  children  might  be  granted  a  safe  con- 
duct  to  the  British  lines.  Marion's  officers  were 
disposed  to  refuse  it;  but  Marion  promptly  acceded. 
"  Let  the  man's  wife  and  property  go,  and  he  will 
follow,"  said  Marion;  and  the  result  proved  as  he 
had  expected. 

At  this  time  occurred  one  of  the  severest  trials 
of  Marion's  authority.  Among  those  who  came  in 
under  the  promise  of  protection  was  a  certain  Cap- 
tain Butler, — celebrated  for  his  ferocious  conduct, 
and  obnoxious  to  many  in  Marion's  company,  who 
had  themselves  experienced  his  cruelty,  or  whose 
friends  had  suffered  by  him.  These  men  were 
furious  against  Butler,  and  determined  that  no  pro- 
tection should  save  him.  Amid  the  rumblings  of 
the  storm  of  hate,  Marion  took  the  man  to  his 
own  tent.  His  enemies  threatened  to  drag  him 
thence,  for  1  hey  said,  "  to  defend  such  a  man  was 
an  insult  to  humanity."  Marion  declared  he  would 
defend  him  or  perish,  and  at  night  removed  him, 
•jnder  a  strong  guard,  to  a  place  of  safety. 

The  Pedee  district  being  now  quiet  by  the  sul> 


204  LIFE     OF    MARION. 

mission  of  the  Tories,  Marion  returned  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  foreign  foe.  There  was,  however, 
little  opportunity  now  left  for  the  exploits  which 
had  distinguished  the  partisan  in  the  early  part  of 
the  war.  The  enemy  were  no  longer  active,  but 
were  occupied  only  in  such  movements  as  were 
necessary  to  secure  provisions,  and  make  prepara- 
tions for  evacuating  the  country.  The  last  encoun- 
ter which  Marion  had  with  the  British  was  at 
Watboo,  on  the  Cooper  River ;  against  which  post, 
supposing  him  absent,  the  enemy  had  despatched 
a  detachment  under  command  of  Major  Frazier. 
Unfortunately,  Marion's  cavalry  wTere  absent;  and 
as  Frazier,  taking  an  unfrequented  route,  had  cap- 
tured some  of  the  out-sentinels,  the  British  com- 
mander advanced  in  the  belief  that  he  was  about  to 
surprise  not  Marion,  indeed,  but  the  force  which 
Marion  had  left  in  charge  of  the  post.  Our  hero's 
movements  were  so  rapid,  that  he  often  astonished 
the  enemy  by  appearing  when  least  expected. 

His  officers  on  this  occasion,  his  cavalry  being 
absent,  acted  as  scouts,  to  gain  intelligence.  His 
post  was  on  a  deserted  plantation ;  and  his  troops 
were  so  placed,  in  the  negro  houses,  and  under  the 
shelter  of  neglected  and  unt rimmed  trees,  as  to  be 
most  effective  in  position,  and  still  concealed.  Many 
?f  his  men   were  new  adherents — Tories  who  had 


LIFE    OP    MARION.  205 

aken  up  arms  for  their  country  at  the  eleventh 
nour.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  they  fought  like  heroes; 
for,  as  we  have  remarked  in  a  previous  chapter, 
men  who  had  once  worn  the  livery  of  the  king,  if 
taken  in  arms  against  him,  had  no  hope  of  mercy. 

Tiie  officers,  charged  upon  by  the  British  caval- 
ry, led  their  pursuers  within  the  reach  of  the  guns 
of  Marion's  men  ;  and  then  saving  themselves  from 
the  range  of  the  fire,  left  the  British  to  the  effects 
of  a  tremendous  volley.  Before  this  reception  the 
enemy  broke,  but  soon  rallied,  and  attempted  first 
the  right  flank  of  Marion,  and  then  the  left.  But 
a  second  charge  was  not  attempted.  The  enemy 
withdrew ;  and  without  cavalry  Marion  could  not 
attempt  pursuit,  or  relinquish  the  protection  of  the 
trees  and  houses.  Thus  ended  the  battles  of  our 
hero;  for  after  this  he  was  never  in  an  engagement. 
This  action  occurred  during  the  latter  part  of  the 
month  of  August,  in  1782. 

The  British  commander,  as  the  evacuation  of 
Charleston  was  now  determined  on,  proposed  to 
General  Greene  a  suspension  of  hostilities,  and 
desired  the  privilege  of  purchasing  provisions  for 
his  fleet  and  army.  This  overture  was  unwisely 
declined ;  and  compelled  the  British  to  take  that 
by  force  which  ttey  would  willingly  have  acquired 
by  barter.     In  one  of  the  skirmishes  which  grew 


206  LIFE     OF    MA  It  ION. 

out  of  this  state  of  things,  the  brave  Colonel  Lau- 
rens fell,  universally  lamented;  and  the  public  grief 
was  aggravated  by  the  circumstance  that  no  neces 
sity  existed  for  the  exposure  of  brave  spirits  to 
danger  and  death,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
courage  had  nothing  to  gain,  and  prudence  really 
nothing  to  lose.  Marion  never  indulged  in  enter- 
prises  by  which  no  advantage  was  to  be  secured 
After  the  defeat  of  Frazier  at  Watboo,  just  related, 
he  was  urged  to  attack  a  British  watering  party, 
which  had  completed  its  duty,  and  was  just  embark- 
ing. "  My  brigade,"  he  answered,  "  is  composed 
of  citizens,  enough  of  whose  blood  has  been  shed 
already.  If  ordered  to  attack  the  enemy,  I  shall 
obey ;  but  with  my  consent  not  another  life  shall  be 
lost,  though  the  event  should  procure  me  the  high- 
est honours  of  the  soldier.  Knowing,  as  we  do,  that 
the  enemy  are  on  the  eve  of  departure,  so  far  from 
offering  to  molest,  I  would  send  a  party  to  protect 
them." 

On  the  14th  of  December  the  British  evacuated 
Charleston — an  event  for  which  at  some  periods  of 
the  long  war  the  Americans  had  hardly  dared  to 
hope.  Marion  soon  after  took  leave  of  his  brigade 
m  a  brief  address,  acknowledging  with  thanks  the 
services  of  officers  and  men,  and  preserving,  in  this 
affecting  scene,  the  same  manly  simplicity  which 


LIFE    OF    MARION.  207 

had  characterized  his  whole  career.  Now  the  volun- 
teers could  separate  without  the  danger  of  a  recall. 
Glorious  must  have  been  their  exultation — glorious 
despite  the  gloomy  condition  of  social  life,  and  the 
shattered  state  of  fortune,  in  which  the  long  war 
had  left  them.  Marion  returned  to  a  farm  in  ruins, 
and  to  an  exhausted  property.  Fire  and  ravage  had 
severely  visited  his  possessions.  But,  though  over 
fifty  years  of  age,  his  frame  was  still  elastic,  and  the 
support  of  conscious  rectitude  sustained  his  spirits. 

He  died  on  the  27th  of  February,  1795,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three.  The  last  years  of  his  life  had 
been  spent  in  comparative  comfort.  He  married  at 
a  late  period  in  life  Mrs.  Mary  Videau ;  and  it  is 
related  of  him  that,  valiant  as  he  was  in  war,  he 
was  not  bold  enough  to  aspire  to  this  connexion, 
until  some  of  his  friends,  having  sounded  the  lady's 
wishes  better  than  he  m  ins  modesty  was  capable 
of  doing,  indicated  to  him  the  probable  success  of 
any  overture  toward  matrimony.  He  left  no  de 
scendants. 

He  continued  in  public  life  until  five  years  before 
his  death  :  his  name  being  among  the  members  of 
the  convention  which  formed  the  State  Constitution 
in  1790.  In  1794  he  formally  resigned  his  com 
mission;  and  the  occasion  was  made  to  present  nim 
a  respectful  address  by  the  citizens  of  Georgetown. 


208  LIFE    OF    MARION. 

The  Legislature  of  his  state  caused  him  to  be 
thanked  in  his  place  in  the  Senate  in  1783,  for  his 
distinguished  services;  and  voted  him  likewise  a 
gold  medal.  He  held  also  the  post  of  Commander 
of  Fort  Johnson,  in  Charleston  Harbour,  for  a  few 
years — an  office  created  for  him — and  resigned 
upon  his  marriage.  Covered  with  official  honours, 
and  in  the  entire  enjoyment  of  the  love  and 
respect  of  his  fellow-citizens,  he  died  peacefuhv, 
with  the  consciousness  upon  his  mind  that  he  Uad 
never  intentionally  wronged  a  human  being. 


THE    END. 


STANDARD  ELOCUTIONARY  BOOKS. 


FIVE-MINUTE  DECLAMATIONS.  Selected  and  adapted  b«f 
Walter  K.  Fobes,  teacher  of  elocution  and  public  reader;  author 
of  "  Elocution  Simplified."     Cloth.     5o  cents. 

FIVE-MINUTE  RECITATIONS.    By  Walter  K.  Fobes.    Cloth. 

50  cents. 
FIVE-MINUTE  READINGS.  By  Walter  K.  Fobes.  Cloth. 
50  cents. 
Pupils  In  public  schools  on  declamation  days  are  limited  to  five  minutes 
each  for  the  detivery  of  "  pieces."  There  is  a  great  complaint  of  the  scarcity 
of  material  for  such  a  purpose,  while  the  injudicious  pruning  of  eloquent 
extracts  has  often  marred  the  desired  effects.  To  obviate  these  difficulties, 
new  "  Five-Minute"  books  have  been  prepared  by  a  competent  teacher. 

ELOCUTION   SIMPLIFIED.     With  an  appendix  on  Lisping,  Stam- 
mering, and   other  Impediments  of   Speech.     By  Walter   K.  Fobes, 
graduate  of  the  "  Boston  School  of  Oratory."     16mo.    Cloth.    50  cents. 
Paper,  30  cents. 
"The  whole  art  of  elocution  is  succinctly  set  forth  in  this  small  volume, 
which  might  be  judiciously  included  among  the  text-books  of  schools."  — 
ATew  Orleans  Picayune. 

ADVANCED  READINGS  AND  RECITATIONS.    By  Austin 
B.  Fletcher,  A.M.,  LL.B.,  Professor  of  Oratory,  Brown  University, 
and  Boston  University  School  of   Law.     This   book   has   been   already 
adopted   in   a    large    number    of    Universities,   Colleges,    Post-graduata 
Schools  of  Law  and  Theology,  Seminaries,  etc.     12mo.     Cloth.     81.50. 
"  Professor  Fletcher's  noteworthy  compilation  has  been  made  with    rare 
rhetorical  judgment,  and  evinces  a  sympathy  for  the  best  forms   of    litera- 
ture, adapted  to  attract  readers  and  speakers,  and  mould  their  literary  taste." 
—  Pkof.  J.  W.  Churchill.  Andover  Theological  Seminary. 
THE    COLUMBIAN    SPEAKER.      Consisting  of    choice  and   aui- 
mated  pieces  for  declamation  and  reading.     By  Loomis  J.  Campbell, 
and  Orin  Root,  Juu.     16mo.    Cloth.     75  cents. 
Mr.  Campbell,  as  one  of  the  editors  of  "  Worcester's  Dictionaries,"  the 
popular   "  Franklin   Readers,"  and    author  of    the  successful   little   work, 
"Pronouncing  Hand-Book  of  3,000  Words,"  is  well  known  as  a   thorough 
scholar.     Mr.  Root  is  an  accomplished  speaker  and  instructor  in   the  West; 
and  both,  through  experience  knowing  the  need  of  such  a  work,  are  well 
qualified  to  prepare  it.     It  is  a  genuine  success. 

VOCAL  AND  ACTION-LANGUAGE,  CULTURE  AND 

EXPRESSION.     By  F.  N.  Kirby,  teacher  of  elocution  in  the  Lynn 

High  Schools.     12rao.     English  cloth  binding.     Price,  SI. 25. 

"Teachers  and  students  of  the  art  of  public  speaking,  in  any  of  its  forms, 

will    be   benefited    by   a   liberal   use   of   this   practical   hand-book." — Prof, 

Churchill. 

KEENE'S   SELECTIONS.     Selection  for  reading  and   elocution.    A 
hand-book   for  teachers  and   students.     By  J.  W.  Keene,  A.M.,  M.D. 
Cloth..   $1. 
"An  admirable  selection  of  practical  pieces." 

LITTLE  PIECES  FOR  LITTLE  SPEAKERS.  The  primary 
school  teacher's  assistant.  By  a  practical  teacher,  ltjmo.  Uluctiated. 
75  cents.     Also  in  boards,  60  cents.     Has  had  an  immense  sale. 

THE    MODEL    SUNDAY-SCHOOL    SPEAKER.     Containing 
selections,  in  prose  and  verse,  from  the  most  popular  pieces  and  dialogues 
for  Sunday  school  exhibitions.    Ulust.   Cloth.   75  cents.   Boards,  60  cents. 
"  A  book  very  much  needed." 


Special  terms  to  teachers  and  classes 


LEE    AND    SHEPARD    Publishers    Boston 


YOUNG  FOLKS'  HEROES  OF  HISTORY. 

By  GEORGE    MAKEPEACE  TOWLE. 

Handsomely  Illustrated.    Price  per  vol.,  $1.25.    Sets  in  neat  bosea. 

VA  SCO     DA     GAMA: 

HIS     VOYAGES     AND     ADVENTURES. 

"  Da  Gama's  history  is  full  of  striking  adventures,  thrilling  incidents,  and 
perilous  situations;  and  Mr.  Towle,  while  not  sacrificing  historical  accuracy, 
ias  so  skilfully  used  his  materials,  that  we  have  a  charmingly  romantic  tale." 
—  Rural  Hew-  Yorker. 

PIZ  A  RRO: 
HTS    ADVENTURES     AND     CONQUESTS. 

"  No  hero  of  romance  possesses  greater  power  to  charm  the  youthful  render 
than  the  conqueror  of  Peru.  Not  even  King  Arthur,  or  Thaddeus  of  War- 
saw, has  the  power  to  captivate  the  imagination  of  the  growing  boy.  Mr. 
Towle  has  handled  his  subject  in  a  glowing  but  truthful  manner;  and  wc 
venture  the  assertion,  that,  were  our  children  led  to  read  such  books  as  this, 
the  taste  for  unwholesome,  exciting,  wrong-teaching  boys'  books  —  dime 
novels  in  books'  clothing  —  would  be  greatly  diminished,  to  the  great  gain  of 
mental  force  and  moral  purpose  in  the  rising  generation." — Chicago  Alliance. 

MAGELLAN; 

OR,  THE    FIRST    VOYAGE    ROUND    THE    WORLD. 

"What  more  of  romantic  and  spirited  adventures  any  bright  boy  cou'id 
want  than  is  to  be  found  in  this  series  of  historical  biography,  it  is  difficult 
to  imagine.  This  volume  is  written  in  a  most  sprightly  manner;  and  the 
life  of  its  hero,  Fernan  Magellan,  with  its  rapid  stride  from  the  softness  of 
a  petted  youth  to  the  sturdy  courage  and  persevering  fortitude  of  manhood, 
makes  a  tale  of  marvellous  fascination." —  Christian  Union. 

MARCO     POLO: 

HIS  TRAVELS  AND  ADVENTURES. 
"The  story  of  the  adventurous  Venetian,  who  six  hundred  years  ago  pen* 
trated  into  India  and  Cathay  and  Thibet  and  Abyssinia,  is  pleasantly  and 
clearly  told;  and  nothing  better  can  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  school  boy 
or  girl  than  this  series  of  the  records  of  noted  travellers.  The  heroism  dis- 
played by  these  men  was  certainly  as  great  as  that  ever  shown  by  conquering 
warrior;  and  it  was  exercised  in  a  far  nobler  cause,  —  the  cause  of  knowledge 
and  discovery,  which  has  made  the  nineteenth  century  what  it  is."  ^■■Graphic. 

RALEGH: 

HIS     EXPLOITS     AND     VOYAGES. 

"This  belongs  to  the  '  Young  Folks'  Heroes  of  History  '  series,  and  deals 
with  a  greater  and  more  interesting  man  than  any  of  its  predecessors.  With 
all  the  black  spots  on  his  fame,  there  are  few  more  brilliant  and  striking 
figures  in  English  history  than  the  soldier,  sailor,  courtier,  author,  and  ex- 
plorer, Sir  Walter  Ralegh.  Even  at  this  distance  of  time,  more  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years  after  his  head  fell  on  the  scaffold,  we  cannot  read  his 
story  without  emotion.  It  is  graphically  written,  and  is  pleasant  reading, 
not  only  for  young  folks,  but  for  old  folks  with  young  hearts."  —  Woman'* 
Journal. 

DRAKE: 
THE     SEA-LION     OF     DEVON. 

Drake  was  the  foremost  sea-captain  of  his  age,  the  first  English  admiral 
to  send  a  ship  completely  round  the  world,  the  hero  of  the  magnificent 
victory  which  the  English  won  over  the  Invincible  Armada.  His  career  wat 
stirring,  bold,  and  adventurous,  from  early  youth  to  old  age. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Books  Suitable  for  School  Libraries  and  Prizes^ 


Lee  and  Shepard's  Seventy-Five-Cent  Juveniles. 

Popular  Juveniles  i?i  new  Styles  and  new  Dies.   Any  volume  sold  separately. 


The  Golden  Proverb  Series.     By  Mrs.  M.  E.  Bradley  and  Miss  Katb 

J.  Neely.     6  vols.    Illustrated. 
Birds  of  a  Feather.  \A  Wrong  Confessed  is  Half  Redressed. 

Fine  Feathers  do  not  make  Fine  Birds.  One  Good  Turn  Deserves  Another. 
Handsome  is  that  Handsome  Does.  \  Actions  Speak  Louder  than  Words. 
The  Golden  Pule  Stories.    By  Mrs.  S.  B.  C.  Samuels.    6  vols.    Ulus. 


The  Golden  Rule;  or,  Herbert. 
The  Shipwrecked  Girl;  or,  Adele. 
Under  the  Sea;  or,  Erie. 
Nettie's  Trial. 

The  Upside- Down  Stories.    By  Rosa  Abbott 


The  Burning  Prairie;  or,  Johnstone's 

Farm. 
The  Smuggler's  Cave;  or,  Ennisfellen. 


6  vols. 


Jack  of  All  Trades. 
Alexis   the  Runaway, 
Tommy  Hickup. 

The  Salt-Water  Dick  Stories. 

Climbing  the  Rope. 

Billy  Grimes's  Favorite. 

Cruise  of  the  Dashaway. 

The  Charley  and  Eva  Stories. 

Illustrated. 

How  Charley  Roberts  Became  a  Man.    I  Home  in  the  West. 
How  Eva  Roberts  Gained  her  Educa-    Children  of  Amity  Court, 
tion. 


I  Upside  Down. 

The  Young  Detective. 
I  The  Pinks  and  Blues. 
By  Mat  Mannering.    6  vols.    Illus. 

The  Little  Spaniard. 

Salt-Water  Dick. 

Little  Maid  of  Oxbow. 

By  Miss  L.  C.  Thurston.     4  vola. 


Lee   and  Shepard's    Dollar- and- a -Quarter  Juveniles. 


Youny  Folks'  Heroes  of  the  Rebellion. 

6  vols.     Illustrated 
Fight  It  Out  on  This  Line.     The  Life    Old  Salamander, 
and  Deeds  of  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant. 


By  Rev.  P.  C.  Heajiley. 


The  Life  and  Naval 
Career  of  Admiral  David  (jlascoe 
Farragut. 
The  Miner  Bog  and  His  Monitor.  The 
Career  and  Achievements  of  John 
Ericsson,  Engineer. 

Old  Stars.      The   Life  and  Military 
Career     of      Major-Gen.     Oriusby 
MacKnight  Mitchel. 
Touny  Polks'  Heroes  of  History.    By  George   M.  Towis.     6  vols. 


Facing  the  Enemy.  The  Life  and  Mil- 
itary Career  of  Gen.  William  Te- 
cumseh  Sherman. 

Fighting  Phil.  The  Life  and  Military 
Career  of  Lieat.-Geu.  Philip  Henry 
Sheridan. 


Vasco  da  Gama.  His  Voyages  and 
Adventures.    Illustrated.     16mo. 

Pizarro.  His  Adventures  and  Con- 
quests.    Illustrated. 

Magellan;  or,  The  First  Voyage  Round 
the  World.     Illustrated. 


Marco  Polo.  His  Trarels  and  Adven- 
tures.    Illustrated. 

Raleigh.  His  Voyages  and  Adven- 
tures. 

Drake,  the  Sea-King  of  Devon. 


Sold  by  all  bookiellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  pries. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Books  Suitable  for  School   Libraries  and   Prizes. 


LEE  AND   SHEPARD'S    DOLLAR   JUVENILES. 

New  Books  and  Neio  Editions  in  Attractive  Binding. 


THE  INVINCIBLE  LIBRARY. 

4  vols.     Illustrated. 

The  Young  Invincibles.         Battles  at  Home.  In  the  Wobld. 

Golden  Haiu. 

THE  GABBANT  BEEBS  LIBRARY. 

4  vols.    Illustrated. 
G^eat  Men  and  Gallant  Deeds.    By  W.  H.  G.  Kingston. 

Yarns  of  an  Old  Mariner.    By  Mary  Cowden  Clarke. 
Schoolboy  Days.     By   W.  H.  G.  Kingston. 

Sandhills  of  Jutland.     By  Hans  Andersen. 

THE  FRONTIER-CAMP  SERIES. 

4  vols.     Illustrated. 

Twelve  Nights  in  the  Hunter's  Camp.      The  Cabin  on  the  Prairie. 

Planting  the  Wilderness.  The  Young  Pioneers. 

THE  FAMOUS  BOY  SERIES. 

4  vols.     Illustrated. 

The  Patriot  Boy,  and  how  he  became  the  Father  of  his  Country;  beitg  a 

popular  Life  of  George  Washington. 

The  Bobbin  Boy,  and  how  Nat  got  his  Learning. 

Tui.   Border  Boy,  and  how  he  became  the  Pioneer  of  the  Great  West; 

being  a  popular  Life  of  Daniel  Boone. 

The  Printer  Boy,  or  how  Ben  Franklin  made  his  Mark. 

THE  NATURAL-HISTORY  SERIES. 

By  Mrs.  R.  Lee.     Illustrated  by  Harrison  Weir.     5  vols. 

Anecdotes  of  Animals.    Anecdotes  of  Birds. 

The  African  Crusoes.  The  Australian  Crusoes. 

The  Australian  Wanderers. 

THE  LIFE-BOAT  SERIES 

Of  Adventures.     By  W.  H.  G.  Kingston  and  others.     5  vols.     Illustrated. 

Dick  Onslow  among  the  Kedskins.        The  Young  Middy. 

The  Life-Boat.     Antony  Waymouth.     The  Cruise  of  the  Frolic. 

THE    CASTAWAY  SERIES. 

6  vols.     Illustrated. 

Adrift  in  the  Ice  Fields.    Willis  the  Pilot.    The  Prairie  Crusoe. 

Cast  away  in  the  Cold.      The  Arctic  Crusoe.    The  Young  Crusoe. 

THE  FIVE  BOYS'   SERIES. 

6  vols.     Illustrated. 

Lite  Boys  in  Texas.     Paul  and  Persis.     Crossing  the  Quicksands. 

Live  Boys  in  the  Black  Hills.    Young  Trail  Hunters. 

Young  Silver  Seekers. 

THE    1VILB   SCENES   LIBRARY. 

5  vols.     Illustrated. 

Wild  Scenes  in  Hunters'  Life.  Pioneer  Mothers  of  the  West. 

Noble  Deeds  of  American  Women.    Gulliver's  Travels. 

^Esop's   Fables. 


Sold  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


'As    interesting    as    3iobmso?i    Crusoe. 


YOUNG  FOLKS'  BOOK 

OF 

AMERICAN   EXPLORERS. 

BY 

THOMAS    WENTWORTH    HIGGINSON. 


UNIFORM    WITH    "HIGGINSON'S    YOUNG   FOLKS'    HISTORY   OF 
THE   UNITED   STATES." 

i6mo.     Cloth.     Illustrated.     $1.50. 


"The  author  of  this  marvellously  interesting  book  has  acted  on  the 
sensible  idea  that  accounts  of  the  adventures  and  experiences  of  early 
navigators  to  America  from  Europe  must  be  of  quite  as  great  interest 
as  the  tale  of  Robinson  Crusoe;  arid  taking,  as  he  has,  extracts  from 
*he  veritable  histories  of  the  ancient  manners  who  sought  these  then 
anknown   shores,    he    has    furnished    interesting   and    healthful    reading, 

Which    is     ADMIRABLY     CALCULATED     TO     GIVE    THE    YOUNG    A     TASTE 

for  searching  history.  He  gives  some  account  of  the  early  Norse- 
men and  their  discoveries,  of  Columbus,  De  Soto,  Captain  John  Smith, 
and  others,  including  Pocahontas,  Miles  Standish,  the  Pilgrims,  and  all 
prominent  persons  in  the  settlement  of  the  colonies.  The  book  is  elegantly 
printed  and  bound,  and  generously  illustrated."  —  Pittsburg  Despatch. 

"  This  book  reminds  one  of  Dickens's  Child's  History  of  England,  and 
we  could  scarcely  pay  it  a  higher  compliment.  It  begins  with  the  legends 
about  the  Northmen,  and  goes  on  with  Columbus,  the  Cabots,  De  Vaca, 
Cartier,  De  Soto,  and  so  on  down  to  Henry  Hudson.     The  beauty  of 

THE    MATTER     IS    THAT    IT     IS     ORIGINAL, CONSISTS     OF     EXTRACTS 

FROM   THE   ORIGINAL    NARRATIVES   OF   THE   EXPLORERS   THEMSELVES. 

It  is  a  book  for  every  boy  and  girl  in  the  land  to  read."  —  Methodist,  N.Y. 
"  Colonel  Higginson  has  searched  all  accessible  sources  for  his  materials, 
and  has  used  them  very  skilfully.  For  young  people  His  book  is  sure  to 
have  all  the  charm  of  stories  of  romance  and  adventure,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  it  conveys  information  not  leadily  obtainable  :n  so  pleasant  a  shape 
elsewhere.  The  attractiveness  of  the  book  is  increased  by  many  excellent 
wood-engravings,  some  of  them  full-page.  The  typography  and  paper  are 
of  the  best;  and  in  externals  the  book  is  uniform  with  Colonel  Higginson's 
Young  Folks'  History  of  the  United  Sta'es,  which  latter  volume,  by  the 
way,  has  found  an  extensive  sphere  ot  usefulness  as  a  text-book,  as  well  as 
for  purposes  of  general  reading  and  entertainment."  —  Journal. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  post-paid,  on  receipt 
LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Young  Foils'  Heroes  of  the  Rebellion. 

By  Rev.  P.  C.  HEADLEY. 


SIX  VOLUMES.     ILLUSTRATED.     PER  VOL.  81.25. 


FIGHT  IT  OUT  ON  THIS  LINE.     The  Life  and  Deeds 
of  General  U.  S.  Grant. 

A  life  of  the  great  Union  GqppRil  from  his  boyhood,  written  for  boys.  Full 
of  anecdotes  and  illustrations,  an3  including  his  famous  trip  around  the  world. 

FACING  THE  ENEMY.     The  Life  and  Military  Career 
of  General  William  Tecumseh  Sherman. 

The  Glorious  March  to  the  Sea  by  the  brave  Sherman  and  his  boys  will  never 
be  forgotten.     This  is  a  graphic  story  of  his  career  from  boyhood. 

FIGHTING    PHIL.      The    Life    and    Military    Career   of 
Lieut-Gen.  Philip  Henry  Sheridan, 

The  story  of  the  dashing  Cavalry  General  of  the  army  of  the  United  States. 
—  A  fighting  Irishman.  —  Full  of  pluck  and  patriotism  for  his  adopted  country. 
The  book  is  full  of  adventure. 

OLD  SALAMANDER.     The   Life   and   Naval   Career  of 
Admiral  David  Glascoe  Farragut. 

The  Naval  History  of  the  great  civil  war  is  exceedingly  interesting,  and  the 
life  of  Admiral  Farragut  is  rich  in  brave  deeds  and  heroic  example. 

THE  MINER  BOY  AND  HIS  MONITOR.      The   Car- 
eer and  Achievements  of  John  Ericsson,  Engineer. 

One  of  the  most  thrilling  incidents  of  the  war  was  the  sudden  appearance  of 
the  Little  Monitor  in  Hampton  Roads  to  beat  back  the  Merrimac.  The  life  of  the 
inventor  is  crowded  with  his  wonderfu!  inventions,  and  the  story  of  his  boyhood  in 
the  coal  mines  of  Sweden  is  particularly  interesting. 

OLD  STARS.     The   Life  and  Military  Career  of  Major- 
Gen.  Ormsby  McKnight  Mitchel. 

"Old  Stars  "  was  the  pet  name  given  the  brave  general  by  his  soldiers,  who 
remembered  his  career  as  an  astronomer  before  he  became  a  soldier.  His  story  is 
full  of  stirring  events  and  heroic  deeds. 

JfcJ"  Sold  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  pried. 


LBH  AND  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


JANE    ANDREWS'S    BOOKS. 


TEN  B9YS 


WHO  LIVED  ON  THE  ROAD  FROM  LONG  AGO  TO  NOW. 

With  Twenty  Illustrations.     Cloth.     80  cents,  net.    By  mail,  $1.00. 

INTRODUCING   THE    STORIES    OF 

TIIE  ARYAN  BOY,    THE  PERSIAN  BOY.    THE  GREEK  BOY,    THE  ROMAN 

BOY,  THE  SAXON   BOY.  THE  PAGE,  THE  ENGLISH  LAD,  THE 

PURITAN  BOY,  THE  YANKEE  BOY,  THE  BOY  OF  1SS5. 

And  giving  entertaining  and  valuable  information  upon  the  manner*- 
and  customs  of  the  different  nations  from  Aryan  age  to  now. 

The  poet  John  G.   Wuittier  says  of  it:  — 

"  I  have  been  reading  the  new  book  by  Jane  Andrews,  'Ten  Boys  who  Lived 
on  the  Road  from  Long  Ago  to  Now,'  which  you  have  just  published,  and  can. 
not  forbear  saying  that  in  all  my  acquaintance  with  juvenile  literature  1  know  of 
nothing  in  many  respects  equal  to  this  remarkable  book,  which  contains  in  its 
small  compass  the  concentrated  knowledge  of  vast  libraries.  It  is  the  admirably 
told  story  of  past  centuries  of  the  world's  progress,  and  the  amount  of  study  and 
labor  required  in  its  preparation  seems  almost  appalling  to  contemplate.  One  is 
struck  with  the  peculiar  excellence  of  its  style,  —  clear,  easy,  graceful,  and  pic- 
turesque, —  which  a  child  cannot  fail  to  comprehend,  and  in  which  '  children  of  a 
larger  growth  '  will  find  an  irresistible  charm.  That  it  will  prove  a  favorite  with 
old  and  young,  I  have  no  doubt.  It  seems  to  me  that  nothing  could  be  more  en- 
joyable to  the  boy  of  our  period  than  the  story  of  how  the  boys  of  all  ages  lived 
and  acted." 


THE   SEVEN    LITTLE   SISTERS 

WHO   LIVE  ON    THE   ROUND    BALL    THAT   FLOATS    IN    THE   AIR. 

Library  Edition,  $1.00.     School  Edition,  50  cents,  net.    By  mail,  55  cents. 
The  Seven  Little  Sisters  are  typical  of  seven  races;  and  the  author's 
idea  is  to  portray  how  these  "  little  women"  live  in  diverse  parts  of 
the  world,  how  the  products  of  one  country  are  brought  to  another, 
their  manners,  customs,  etc.    The  stories  are  charmingly  told. 


Tie  Seven  Little  Sisters  Prove  Tleir  Si 


Library  Edition,  $1.00.     School  Edition,  60  cents,  net.    By  mail,  65  cents. 

This  may  he  considered  a  sequel  to  The  Seven  Little  Sisters,  in 
which  the  nationalities-are  again  taken  up,  and  the  peculiarities  of 
each,  in  relation  to  its  childhood,  are  naturally  and  pleasingly  given. 

GEOGRAPHICAL    PLAYS. 

Comprising   United   States,    Asia,  Africa,  and  South  America, 

Australia  and  the  Islands,  the  Commerce  of  the  World. 

Cloth,  $1.00;   or  in  Paper  Covers,  15  cents  each.     Six  Parts. 

These  plays  have  been  prepared  to  enable  the  children  to  take  a 

comprehensive  ^iew  of  the  geography  of  the   different  countries, 

after  having  studied  portions  of  it  from  day  to  day. 

Sold  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD,    Publishers,    Boston. 


BOOKS    FOR    "OUR    CIRLS." 

THE    MAIDENHOOD    SERIES. 

By    Popular   Authors. 


SEVEN    DAUGHTERS. 

By  Miss  A.  M.  Douglas,  Author  of  "In  Trust,"   "Stephen  Dane,"  "  ClandM* 

".Sydnie  Adriance,"  "  Home  Nook,"  "Nelly  Kennard's  Kingdom." 

i2mo,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

"A  charming  romance  of  Girlhood,"  full  of  incident  and  humor.     The  "Seven 

Daughters"  are  characters  which  reappear  in  some  of  Miss  Douglas'  later  books.     ]» 

this  book  they  form  a  delightful  group,  hovering  on  the  verge  of  Womanhood,  with 

all  the  little  perplexities- of  home  life  and  love  dreams  as  incidentals,  making  a  fresh  and 

attractive  story. 

OUR    HELEN. 

By  Sophie  May.  i2mo,  cloth,  illustrated.  $1.50. 
"  The  story  is  a  very  attractive  one,  as  free  from  the  sensational  and  impossible  as 
could  be  desired,  and  at  the  same  time  full  of  interest,  and  pervaded  by  the  same  bright, 
cheery  sunshine  that  we  find  in  the  author's  earlier  books.  She  is  to  be  congratulated 
on  the  success  of  her  essay  in  a  new  field  of  literature,  to  which  she  will  be  warmly  wel- 
comed by  those  who  know  and  admire  her  '  Prudy  Books.'  "  —  Graphic. 

THE    ASBURY    TWIN3. 

By  Sofhik  May,  Author  of  "The  Doctor's  Daughter,"  "Our  Helen,"  &c.     nmo, 
cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 
"  Has  the  ring  of  genuine  genius,  and  the  sparkle  of  a  gem  of  the  first  water.     We 
read  it  one  cloudy  winter  day,  and  it  was  as  good  as  a  Turkish  bath,  or  a  three  ho-ts' 
soak  in  the  sunshine." —  Cooperstoivn  Republican. 

THAT    QUEER    GIRL. 

By  Miss  Virginia  F.  Townsend,  Author  of  "  Only  Girls,"  &c.  lamo,  cloth,  illus- 
trated. $1.50. 
Queer  only  in  being  unconventional,  brave  and  frank,  an  "  old-fashioned  girl,"  and 
very  sweet  and  charming.  As  indicated  in  the  title,  is  a  little  out  of  the  common  track, 
and  the  wooing  and  the  winning  are  as  queer  as  the  heroine.  The  New  HaVclt 
Register  says:  "Decidedly  the  best  work  which  has  appeared  from  the  pen  of  Miss 
Townsend." 

RUNNING    TO    WASTE. 

The  Story  ot   a  Tomboy.      By  George  M.  Baker.      i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated. 

$1.5°. 
"This  book  is  one  of  the  most  entertaining  we  have  read  for  a  long  lime.  It  is  well 
written,  full  of  humor,  and  good  humor,  and  it  has  not  a  dull  or  uninteresting  page. 
It  is  lively  and  natural,  and  overflowing  with  the  best  New  England  character  and 
traits.  There  is  also  a  touch  of  pathos,  which  always  accompanies  humor,  in  the  life 
and  death  of  the  tomboy's  mother." — Newburyport  Iterald. 

DAISY    TRAVERS; 

Or  the  Girls  of  Hive  Hall.  By  Adelaide  F.  Samuels,  Author  of  "Dick  and 
Daisy  Stones,"  "  Dick  Travers  Abroad,"  &c.  i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated.  $1.50. 
The  story  of  Hive  Hall  is  full  of  life  and  action,  and  told  in  the  same  happy 
style  which  made  the  earlier  life  of  its  heroine  so  attractive,  and  caused  the  Dick  and 
Daisy  books  to  become  great  favorites  with  the  young.  What  was  said  of  the  younger 
books  can,  with  equal  truth,  be  said  of  Daisy  grown  up. 


The  above  six  books  are  furnished  in   a  handsome  box  for  %q.oo,  or  sold 
teparatt,  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  1  eceipt  of  price. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  Publishers, Boston. 


BOOKS    FOR    "OUR    CI^L-.' 

THE    GIRLHOOD    SERIES. 

By    Popular    Authors. 


AN    AMERICAN    GIRL    ABROAD. 

By  Adeline  F.  Trafton.     i6rno,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 
One  of  the  mo*t  bright,  chatty,  wide-awake  booksof  travel  ever  written.     It  abounds 
ta  information,  is  as  pleasant  reading  as  a  story  book,  and  full  of  the  wit  and  sparkle  oi 
"  An  American  Girl  "  let  loose  from  school  and  ready  for  a  frolic. 

ONLY    GIRLS. 

By  Virginia  F.  Townsend,  Author  of  "  That  Queer  Girl,"  &c,  &c.     i2mo,  cloth, 

illustrated.     $1.50. 

"  It  is  a  thrilling  story,  written  in  a  fascinating  style,  and  the  plot  is  adroitly  handled." 

It  might  be  placed  in  any  Sabbath  School  library,  so  pure  is  it  in  tone,  and  yet  it  is  so 

free  from  the  mawkishness  and  silliness  that  mar  the  class  of  books  usually  found  there, 

that  the  veteran  novel  reader  is  apt  to  finish  it  at  a  sitting. 

THE    DOCTOR'S    DAUGHTER. 

By  Sophie  May,  Author  of  "  Our  Helen,"  "  The  Asbury  Twins,"  &c.  iamo,  cloth, 
illustrated.     $150. 

"  A  delightful  book,  original  and  enjoyable,"  says  the  Brownville  Echo. 

"  A  fascinating  story,  unfolding,  with  artistic  touch,  the  young  life  of  one  of  our  im- 
pulsive, sharp-witted,  transparent  and  pure-minded  girls  of  the  nineteenth  century," 
sayu  Trie  Contributor,  Boston. 

SALLY    -WILLIAMS. 

The  Mountain  Girl.  By  Mrs.  Edna  D.  Cheney,  Author  of  "  Patience,"  "  Social 
Games,"  "  The  Child  of  the  Tide,"  &c.  i2ino,  cloth,  illustrated.  $1.50. 
Pure,  strong,  healthy,  just  what  might  be  expected  from  the  pen  of  so  gifted  a  writer 
as  Mrs.  Cheney.  A  very  interesting  picture  of  life  among  the  New  Hampshire  hills, 
enlivened  by  the  tangle  of  a  storv  of  the  ups  and  downs  of  every-day  life  in  this  out- 
of-the-way  locality.  The  characters  introduced  are  quaintly  original,  and  the  adven- 
tures are  narrated  with  remarkable  skill. 

LOTTIE    EAMES. 

Or,  do  your  best  and  leave  the  rest.     By  a  Popular  Author.    i6mo,  illus.    $1.50. 
"  A  wholesome  story  of  home  life,  full  of  lessons  of  self-sacrifice,  but  always  bright 
and  attractive  in  its  varied  incidents." 

RHODA    THORNTON'S    GIRLHOOD. 

By  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Pratt.     i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 
A  hearty  and  healthy  story,  dealing  with  young  folks  and  home  scenes,  with  sleigh, 
ing,  fishing  and  other  frolics  to  make   things  lively. 


Tlie  above  six  volumes  are  furnished  in   a   handsome  box,  for  %q.oo,  or  sold 
separately  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  0/ price  by 

LEE  AND   SHEPARD,  Publishers, Boston. 


J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE'S  NOVELS. 

NEW    UNIFORM    EDITION. 
FARNELL'S  FOLLY. 

"  As  a  Novel  of  American  Society,  t^iis  book  has  never  been  surpassed. 
Hearty  in  style  and  wholesome  in  tune.  Its  pathos  often  melting!  to 
tears,  its  humor  always  exciting  merriment." 

CUDJO'S    CAVE. 

Like  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  this  thrilling  story  was  a  stimulating 
power  in  the  civil  war,  and  had  an  immense  sale.  Secretary  Chase,  of 
President  Lincoln's  cabinet,  said  of  it,  "I  could  not  help  reading  if.  it 
interested  and  impressed  me  profoundly.  ' 

THE    THREE    SCOUTS. 

Another  popular  book  of  the  same  stamp,  of  which  "  The  Boston  Tran- 
script" said,  "It  promises  to  have  a  larger  sale  than  'Cudjo's  Cave.' 
It  is  impossible  lo  open  the  volume  at  any  page  without  being  struck  by 
the  quick  movement  and  pervading  anecdote  of  the  story." 

THE    DRUMMER    BOY. 

A  Story  of  Burnside's  Expedition.     Illustrated  by  F.  O.  C.  Darley. 

"  The  most  popular  book  of  the  season.  It  will  sell  without  pushing." 
—  Zion'x  Herald. 

MARTIN    MERRIVALE:    His   X   Mark. 

"  Strong  in  humor,  pathos,  and  unabated  interest.  In  none  of  the  books 
issued  from  the  American  press  can  there  be  found  a  purer  or  more  deli- 
cate sentiment,  a  more  genuine  good  taste,  or  a  nicer  appreciation  and 
brighter  delineation  of  character."  —  English  Journal. 

NEIGHBOR    JACKWOOD. 

A  story  of  New-England  life  in  the  slave-tracking  days.  Dramatized 
for  the  Boston  Museum,  it  had  a  loug  run  to  crowded  houses.  The  story 
is  one  of  Trowbridge's  very  best. 

COUPON    BONDS,  and  other  Stories. 

The  leading  story  is  undoubtedly  the  most  popular  of  Trowbridge'* 
short  stories.  The  others  are  varied  in  character,  but  are  either  intensely 
interesting  or  "  highly  amusing." 

NEIGHBORS'    WIVES. 

An  ingenious  and  well-told  story.  Two  neighbors'  wives  are  tempted 
beyond  their  streugth  to  resist,  and  steal  each  from  the  other.  One  is 
discovered  in  the  act,  under  ludicrous  and  humiliating  circumstances, 
but  "s  generously  pardoned,  with  a  promise  of  secrecy.  Of  course  she 
L^/tr's  her  secret,  and  of  course  perplexities  come.    It  is  a  capital  story. 

22mo.     Cloth.    Price  per  volume,  $1.50. 


Sold  by  all  bookulltrt  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  pottpatei, 
on  receipt  of  price. 


TROPHIES   OF   TRAVEL. 


DRIFTING   ROUND    THE   WORLD  ;    A  Boy's  Adven- 
tures by  Sea  and  Land.     By  Capt.  Charles  W.  Hall, 
author  of  "  Adiit't  in  the  Ice-Fields,"  "The  Great  Bonanza,"  etc. 
With  numerous  full-page  and  letter-press  illustrations.     Royal  8vo. 
Handsome  cover.     §1.75.     Cloth.     Gilt.     $2.50. 
"  Out  of  the  beaten  track  "  in  its  course  of  travel,  record  of  adventures, 
and  descriptions  of  life  in  Greenland,  Labrador,  Ireland,  Scotland,  Eng- 
land, France,  Holland,  Russia,  Asia,  Siberia,  and  Alaska.     Its  hero   in 
young,  bold,  and  adventurous;  and  the  book  is  iu  every  way  interesting 
and  attractive. 

EDWARD  GREEY'S  JAPANESE  SERIES. 
YOUNG  AMERICANS  IN  JAPAN  ;  or,  The  Adventures 
of  the  Jewett  Family  and  their  Friend  Oto  Nambo. 
With  170  full-page  and  letter-press  illustrations.     Royal  8vo,  7x9j 
inches.     Handsomely  illuminated  cover.     $1.75.     Cloth,  black  and 
gold,  $2.50. 
This  story,  though  essentially  a  work  of  fiction,  is  filled  with  interest 
lug  and  truthful  descriptions  of  the  curious  ways  of  living  of  the  good 
people  of  the  land  of  the  rising  sun. 

THE    WONDERFUL    CITY    OF    TOKIO ;  or,  The  Fur- 
ther Adventures  of  the  Jewett  Family  and  their 
Friend   Oto    Nambo.    With  169  illustrations.     Royal  8vo, 
7x9j  inches.      With  cover  in   gold  and  colors,  designed  by  the 
author.     §1.75.     Cloth,  black  and  gold,  $2.50. 
•'  A  book  full  of  delightful  information.     The  author  has  the  happy 
gift  of  permitting  the  reader  to  view  things  as  he  saw  them.     The  illus- 
trations are  mostly  drawn  by  a  Japanese  artist,  aud  are  very  unique.  "  -• 
Chicago  Herald. 

THE  BEAR  WORSHIPPERS  OF  YEZO  AND  THB 
ISLAND  OF  KARAFUTO  ;  being  the  further  Ad- 
ventures of  the  Jewett  Family  and  their  Friend 
Oto   Nambo.     ISO  illustrations.    Boards.    $1.75.    Cloth,  $2.50. 

Graphic  pen  and  pencil  pictures  of  the  remarkable  bearded  people  who 
<ive  In  the  north  of  Japan.  The  illustrations  are  by  native  Japanese 
irtists,  and  give  queer  pictures  of  a  queer  people,  who  have  been  seldom 
visited. 

HARRY  W.   FRENCH'S   BOOKS. 
OUR  BOYS  IN  INDIA.    The  wanderings  of  two  young  Americans 
in  Hindustan,  with  their  exciting  adventures  on  the  sacred  rivers 
and  wild  mountains.     With   145   illustrations.     Royal  8vo,  7  x  9  j 
inches.     Bound  in  emblematic  covers  of   Oriental  design,  $1.75. 
Cloth,  black  and  gold,  $2.50. 
While  it  has  all  the  exciting  interest  of  a  romance,  it  is  remarkably 
vivid  in  its  pictures  of  manners  and  customs  in  the  laud  of  the  Hindu. 
The  illustrations  are  many  and  excellent. 

OUR  BOYS  IN  CHINA.  The  adventures  of  two  young  Ameri- 
cans, wrecked  in  the  China  Sea  on  their  return  from  India,  with 
their  strange  wanderings  through  the  Chinese  Empire.  188  illus- 
trations. Boards,  ornamental  covers  in  colors  aud  gold.  $1.75. 
Ciotb,  $2.50. 
This  gives  the  further  adventures  of  "  Our  Boys"  of  India  fame  in  the 
land  of  Teas  aud  Queues. 


Sold  by  all  book-tellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  prvi 

LEE  &,  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Lee  and  Sheparfs  Books  of  Travel. 


LIFE    AT     PUGET    SOUND.     With  sketches  of  travel  in  Wash- 
ington  Territory,  Biitish  Columbia,  Oregon,  and  California.     By 
Caroline  C.  Leighton.     16mo.     Cloth.     $1.50. 
"  Your  chapters,  on  Puget  Sound  have  charmed  me.     Pull  of  life,  deeply 

interesting,  and  with  just  that  class  of  tacts,  and  suggestions  of  truth, 

that   cauuot  fail  to    help    the    Indian  and   the  Chinese."  —  Wendell 

Phillips. 

EUROPEAN  BREEZES.  By  Margery  Deane.  Cloth.  Gilt 
top.  $1.50.  Being  chapters  of  travel  through  Germany,  Austria, 
Hungary,  and  Switzerland,  covering  places  not  usually  visited  hy 
Americans  in  making  "  The  Grand  Tour  of  the  Continent,"  hy  the 
accomplished  writer  of  "Newport  Breezes." 
"  A  very  bright,  fresh,  and  amusing  account,  which  tells  lis  about  a  host 

rf  things  we  never  heard  of  before,  and  is  worth  two  ordinary  hooks  on 

European  travel."  ■ — Woman's  Journal. 

AN  AMERICAN   GIRL  ABROAD.    By  Miss  Adeline  Trap- 
ton,  author  of  "  His  Inheritance, "  "  Katherine  Earle,"  etc.     16mo. 
Illustrated.     $1.50. 
"  A  sparkling  account  of  a  European  trip  by  a  wide-awake,  intelligent, 

and  irrepressible  American  girl.     Pictured  with  a  freshness  aud  vivacity 

that  is  delightful." —  Vtica  Observer. 

BEATEN  PATHS  ;  or,  A  Woman's  Vacation  in  Europe. 
By  Ella  W.  Thompson.     16mo.     Cloth.     $1.50. 
A  lively  and   chatty  book  of  travel,  with  pen-pictures  humorous  and 
graphic,  that  are  decidedly  out  of  the  "  beateu  paths  "  of  description. 

A  SUMMER    IN   THE  AZORES,  with  a  Glimpse  of  Ma- 
deira.    By  Miss  C.  Alice  Baker.     Little  Classic  style.     Cloth. 
Gilt  edges.     $1.25. 
"Miss  Baker  gives  us  a  breezy,  entertaining  description  of  these  pic- 
turesque islands.     She  is  an  observing  traveller,  and   makes  a   graphic 
picture  of  the  quaint  people  and  customs."  —  Chicago  Advance. 

ENGLAND    FROM    A   BACK   WINDOW ;  With  Views 
of  Scotland    and   Ireland.    By  J.  M.  Bailey,  the  "  'Dan- 
bury  News'  Man."     12mo.     SI. 50. 
"  The  peculiar  humor  of  this  writer  is  well  known.     The  British  Tsles 
have  never  before  been  looked  at  in  just  the  same  way,  —  at  least,  not  by 
any  one  who  has  notified  us  of  the  fact.    Mr.  Bailey's  travels  possess, 
accordingly,  a  value  of  their  own  for  the  reader,  no  matter  how  many 
previous  records  of  journeys  iu  the  mother  country  he  may  have  read." 
—  Hoc/tester  Express. 

OVER  THE  OCEAN;  or,  Sights  and  Scenes  in  Foreign 
Lands.    By  Curtis  Guild,  editor  of    "The  Boston  Commer- 
cial Bulletin."     Crown  Svo.     Cloth,  $2.50. 
"  The  utmost  that  any  European  tourist  can  hope  to  do  is  to  tell  the 
old  story  in  a  somewhat  fresh  way,  and   Mr.  Guild   has   succeeded   in 
every  part  of  his  book  iu  doing  this."  —  Philadelphia  Bulletin. 

ABROAD  AGAIN;  or,  Fresh  Forays  in  Foreign  Fields. 

Uniform  with  "Over  the  Ocean."     By  the  same  author.     Crown 

8vo.     Cloth,  $2.50. 

"  He  has  given  us  a  life-picture.     Europe  is  done  iu  a  style  that  must 

Berve  as  au  invaluable  guide  to  those  who  go  '  over  the  ocean,'  as  weli  as 

an  interesting  companion. "  —  Halifax  Citizen. 


Sold  by  all  book-sellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price* 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


Lee  and  Shepard's  Books  of  Travel 


GERMANY  SEEN  WITHOUT  SPECTACLES;  or,  Ran- 
dom Sketches  of  Various  Subjects,  Penned  from 
Different  Stand -points  in  the  Empire.     By  Heniiy 
Ruggles,  late  U.  IS.  Consul  at  the  Iplaud  of  Malta,  and  at  Barce 
lo.ia,  Spain.     $1.50. 
"  Mi'.  Ruggles  writes  briskly  :  he  chats  and  gossips,  slashing  right  and 
left  with  stout  American  prejudices,  and  has  made  withal  a  most  enter- 
taining book."  —  New  -York  Tribune. 

TRAVELS    AND    OBSERVATIONS  IN   THE  ORIENT, 

■with  a  Hasty  Flight  in  the  Countries  of  Europe. 

By  Walter  HArriman  (ex-Governor  of  New  Hampshire).  $1.00. 

"  The  author,  in  his  graphic  description  of  these  sacred  localities,  refers 

with  great  aptness  to  scenes  and  personages  which  history  has  made 

famous.     It  is  a  chatty  narrative  of  travel,  tinged  throughout  with  a  vary 

natural  and  pleasant  color  of  personality." —  Concord  Monitor. 

FORE  AND   AFT.    A  Story  of  Actual  Sea-Life.    By  Robert  B. 
Dixon,  M.D.    $1.25. 
Travels  in  Mexico,  with  vivid  descriptions  of  manners  and  customs, 
form  a  large  part  of  this  striking  narrative  of  a  fourteen-mouths'  voyage. 

VOYAGE  OF  THE  PAPER  CANOE.  A  Geographical  Jour- 
uey  of  Twenty-live  Hundred  Miles  from  Quebec  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  By  Nathaniel  H.  Bishop.  With  numerous  illustra- 
tions and  maps  specially  jjrepared  for  this  work.  Crown  Svo. 
$1.50. 
"  Mr.  Bishop  did  a  very  bold  thing,  and  lias  described  it  with  a  happy 

mixture  of  spirit,  keen  observation,  and  bonhomie."  —  London  Graphic. 

FOUR  MONTHS  IN  A   SNEAK-BOX.      A  Boat-Voyage  of 

Twenty-six  Hundred  Miles  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers, 

and   along   the   Gulf   of    Mexico.      By  Nathaniel   H.  Bishop. 

With  numerous  maps  and  illustrations.     $1.50. 

"  His  glowing  pen-pictures  of  '  shanty-boat '  life  on  the  great  rivers  are 

true  to  life.     His  descriptions  of  persons  and  places  are  graphic."  — 

Zion's  Herald. 

A    THOUSAND     MILES'     WALK     ACROSS     SOUTH 
AMERICA,  Over  the  Pampas  and  the  ilndes.    By 
Nathaniel  H.  Bishop.    Grown  Svo.    New  Edition.    Illustrated. 
$1.50. 
"  Mr.  Bishop  made  this  journey  when  a  boy  of  sixteen,  has  never  for- 
gotten it,  and  tells  it  in  such  a  way  that  the  reader  will  always  remember 
it,  and  wish  there  had  been  more." 

CAMPS  IN  THE  CARIBBEES.     Being  the  Adventures  of  a 
Naturalist  Bird-Hunting  in  the  West-India  Islands.     By  Fred  A. 
Ober.     Crown  Svo.     With  maps  and  illustrations.     $2.50. 
During  two  years  he  visited  mountains,  forests,  and  people  that  few, 

if  any,  tourists  had  ever  reached  before.     He  carried  his  camera  with 

him,  and  photographed  from  nature  the  scynes  by  which  the  book  is 

illustrated."  —  JLouisoille  Courier-Journal. 


Sold  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price- 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


SOPHIE  MAY'S  "GROWN-UP"  BOOKS. 


Uniform  Binding.    Alt  Handsomely  Illustrated.    fl.SO. 


JANET,  A  POOR  HEIRESS. 
"The  heroine  of  this  story  is  a  true  girl.  An  imperious,  fault  finding, 
onappreciative  father  alienates  her  love,  and  nearly  ruins  her  temper. 
The  mother  knows  the  father  is  at  fault,  hut  does  not  dare  to  say  so. 
Then  comes  a  discovery,  that  she  is  only  an  adopted  daughter;  a  for. 
Baking  of  the  eld  home;  a  life  of  strange  vicissitudes;  a  return;  a  mar- 
riage under  difficulties;  and  a  discovery,  that,  after  all,  she  is  an  heiress. 
The  story  is  certainly  a  very  attractive  one." —  Chicago  Interior. 

THE  DOCTOR'S  DAUGHTER. 
"  Sophie  May,  author  of  the  renowned  Prudy  and  Dotty  books,  has 
achieved  another  triumph  in  the  new  book  with  this  title  just  issued, 
She  has  taken  'a  new  departure'  this  time,  and  written  a  new  story  for 
grown-up  folks.  If  we  are  not  much  mistaken,  the  young  folks  will 
want  to  read  it,  as  much  as  the  old  folks  want  to  read  the  books  written 
for  the  young  ones.  It  is  a  splendid  story  for  all  ages."  —  Lynn  Semi- 
Weekly  Recorder. 

THE  ASBURY  TWINS. 
"The  announcement  of  another  work  by  this  charming  and  popular 
writer  will  be  heartily  welcomed  by  the  public.  And  in  this  sensible, 
fascinating  story  of  the  twin-sisters,  '  Vic'  and  '  Van,'  they  have  before 
them  a  genuine  treat.  Vic  writes  her  story  in  one  chapter,  and  Van  in 
the  next,  and  so  on  through  the  book.  Van  is  frank,  honest,  and  practi- 
cal;  Vic  wild,  venturesome,  and  witty;  and  both  of  them  natural  and 
winning.  At  home  or  abroad,  they  are  true  to  their  individuality,  and 
see  things  with  their  own  eyes.  It  is  a  fresh,  delightful  volume,  well 
worthy  of  its  gifted  author."  —  Boston  Contributor. 

OUR  HELEN. 
"'Our  Helen'  is  Sophie  May's  latest  creation;  and  she  is  a  bright, 
brave  girl,  that  the  young  people  will  all  like.  We  are  pleased  to  meet 
with  some  old  friends  in  the  book.  It  is  a  good  companion-book  for  the 
'Doctor's  Daughter,' and  the  two  should  go  together.  Queer  old  Mrs. 
O'Xeil  still  lives,  to  indulge  in  the  reminiscences  of  the  young  men  of 
Machias;  and  other Quinnebasset  people  with  familiar  names  occasionally 
appear,  along  with  new  ones  who  are  worth  knowing.  '  Our  Helen  '  is  a 
noble  and  unselfish  girl,  but  with  a  mind  and  will  of  her  own;  and  the 
contrast  between  her  and  pretty,  fascinating,  selfish  little  Sbarley,  is  very 
finely  drawn.      Lee  &  Shepard  publish  it."  —  Holyoke  Transcript. 

QUINNEBASSET  GIRLS. 
"The  story  is  a  very  attractive  one,  as  free  from  the  sensational  and 
impossible  as  could  be  desired,  and  at  the  same  time  full  of  interest,  and 
pervaded  by  the  same  bright,  cheery  sunshine  that  we  find  in  the  author's 
earlier  books.  She  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  success  of  her  essay  in 
a  new  field  of  literature,  to  which  she  will  be  warmly  welcomed  by  those 
who  know  and  admire  her  '  Prudy  Books.'  " 


8*ld  by  all  booksellers  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid, 
on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


'■'■  '1  '-•'■  :■'  .  - :-':''     -'-.■/■:--:■.    ■■■''■■■':        ■"•'/. -■',. 


